Man Utd’s Martial earns recall to France squad

Paris, France | AFP | Anthony Martial has been rewarded for his impressive recent form with Manchester United by being recalled to the France squad by coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday.

Martial, who has scored five goals in United’s last four Premier League games, comes in for France’s Nations League match in the Netherlands on November 16 and their home friendly against Uruguay four days later.

Martial, 22, was not in the France squad that won the World Cup in Russia. He won the last of his 18 caps in a friendly away to the Russians in March.

“We’re still talking about a young player who, I hope, is in the process of gaining a certain maturity,” said Deschamps.

“That can be seen on the pitch, with the importance he’s taken on in recent weeks in Manchester, in the head of Jose Mourinho, and what he’s doing on the pitch.”

Deschamps acknowledged Martial’s struggles to maintain his best form in the past have held him back at times.

“It’s always been Anthony’s problem. He knows it and I’ve told him. He’s someone who has incredible potential but who doesn’t always do it with consistency.”

Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy, Lyon captain Nabil Fekir and Marseille defender Adil Rami also return to the squad after missing last month’s friendly against Iceland and the Nations League win against Germany.

Marseille playmaker Dimitri Payet and Atletico Madrid duo Thomas Lemar and Lucas Hernandez are all absent. The latter two are injured.

France know a draw away to the Dutch in Rotterdam will secure their place in the finals of the new Nations League, which will feature four teams and be played in June next year.

A defeat, though, will give the Netherlands the chance to leapfrog the World Cup winners when they play Germany away on November 19.

The friendly against Uruguay will be played at the Stade de France on Tuesday, November 20.

France squad:

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur/ENG), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton/ENG), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City/ENG), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart/GER), Adil Rami (Marseille), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace/ENG), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid/ESP)

Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea/ENG), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus/ITA), Tanguy Ndombele (Lyon), Steven Nzonzi (Roma/ITA), Paul Pogba (Manchester United/ENG)

Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona/ESP), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea/ENG), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Anthony Martial (Manchester United/ENG), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)