France coach Didier Deschamps called up Lyon midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho and Everton’s Lucas Digne and Kurt Zouma for the upcoming friendly against Iceland and the Nations League game against Germany.
The changes come after Deschamps was questioned for his decision to stick with his World Cup-winning squad, except for injured players, for the Nations League games against Germany and Netherlands last month.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot is still frozen out after refusing to be a reserve during the World Cup, so Ndombele, whom Deschamps called “a player who has evolved to a very good level,” has been given the nod to replace the injured Corentin Tolisso.
With Samuel Umtiti and Adil Rami also injured, Sakho has been recalled for the first time in more than two years. The former PSG and Liverpool defender, who was the hero as France qualified for the 2014 World Cup against Ukraine, last featured against Russia in March 2016.
Zouma, who debuted at senior level in 2015, was last in the squad for a 4-0 World Cup qualifying win at home to Netherlands in August 2017.
With Manchester City’s Benjamin Mendy also injured, Deschamps has turned to Digne over Lyon’s Ferland Mendy.
Goalkeepers Hugo Lloris and Steve Mandanda also return after missing the September games through injury.
France’s 23-man squad:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Kurt Zouma (Everton)
Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon), Steven Nzonzi (Roma), Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)