Chelsea trio get France national team call for Euro 2020 qualifiers

Looking to build on their World Cup triumph, and avoid another surprise like losing to the Netherlands in the Nations League, France have called up a rather strong squad for their Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Turkey and Andorra, which will be preceded by a friendly against Bolivia.

In head coach Didier Deschamps’ list are all the expected Chelsea names, including centr back Kurt Zouma (fresh off his loan at Everton), midfielder N’Golo Kanté and centre forward Olivier Giroud.

The full 24-man squad for the games set to be player from June 2 — only four days after the Europa League final! — to June 11 is as follows.

GOALKEEPERS: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Benjamin Lecomte (Montpellier), Alphonse Areola (PSG), Mike Maignan (Lille)

DEFENDERS: Ferland Mendy (Lyon), Lucas Digne (Everton), Clément Lenglet (Barcelona), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea), Léo Dubois (Lyon), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)

MIDFIELDERS: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon), N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham)

ATTACKERS: Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid)

There are three new names in the national team who could be handed debuts: Barcelona centre back Clément Langlet, Lyon right back Léo Dubois, and Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan. It feels like there should be more, given the amount of fresh talent available to France, and given the strength of their opposition, but Deschamps is not taking any chances.

A steady, conservative approach worked wonders last summer; there’s no need to deviate from that now!