The Monaco defender has not played for his country since
February 2012 following a liver transplant, while Samir Nasri has also been
handed a recall
Didier Deschamps has recalled
defender Eric Abidal to his France squad as they prepare to take on Belgium
next week.
The Monaco captain is set to win his first cap since
February 2012 after recovering from a liver transplant, while Samir Nasri has
also been named in the selection as les Bleus look to bounce back from friendly
defeats to Uruguay and Brazil.
“The South American tour was a disappointment when I
compare what I expected and what I did not see,” Deschamps told reporters.
“We were facing opponents in competition mode, we were
not equipped to fight, but in terms of investment, our guys needed more. I now
have more information about each individual to prepare for the next step.
“Abidal was not selectable [in June], but I do not want
to dwell on it. I think he is competitive again and I do not have a lot of
players with international experience.
“Nasri should have been with us in South America. As soon
as he became competitive, I chose him. He’s not a special case. He could
definitely have a future in this group. We agree on a lot of things.”
The 44-year-old analysed the path his team is on, while
addressing concerns regarding the lack of striking options at his disposal.
“I have no anxiety, nor overconfidence regarding recent
results. We are on track to achieve our goals for 2014 qualification. I would
have liked better results, but the goal remains qualification. I’m not worried
about our Fifa ranking.
“It is not that the level of strikers is too low. Karim
[Benzema] and Olivier [Giroud] have been quite effective. [Bafetimbi] Gomis is
struggling with Lyon, and as for [Andre-Pierre] Gignac and [Jeremie] Aliadiere,
I do not have enough perspective on their playing time and their efficiency.
“Unfortunately [Edinson] Cavani and [Radamel] Falcao are
not available for selection,” he joked.
Paris-Saint Germain’s Mamadou Sakho and Blaise Matuidi
are notable omissions from the squad, as not a single member of Laurent Blanc’s
squad was called up for next week’s friendly.
“Not a lot of players are selectable. I like clubs with
high-level requirement, but they need playing time to go to the national team.
“I didn’t talk to Laurent (Blanc) about Sakho, but I had
J-Louis (Gasset) and I saw the matches. I would not recommend to him anything
about his departure. This is his life and his career. Apparently he has already
made up his mind, but I do not know if everyone has understood his decision. He
played 60 minutes twice.”
Goalkeepers Mickael Landreau (Bastia), Hugo Lloris
(Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Olympique Marseille)
Defenders Eric Abidal (Monaco), Gael Clichy (Manchester
City), Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United), Patrice Evra (Manchester United),
Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Adil Rami (Valencia),
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
Midfielders Etienne Capoue (Toulouse), Clement Grenier
(Olympique Lyonnais), Josuha Guilavogui (St Etienne), Geoffrey Kondogbia
(Sevilla), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United)
Attackers Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud
(Arsenal), Samir Nasri (Manchester City), Dimitri Payet (Olympique Marseille),
Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Mathieu Valbuena (Olympique Marseille)
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