Alexandre Lacazette and Anthony Martial have been left out of France’s squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Dimitri Payet misses the tournament through injury.
Arsenal striker Lacazette, who won six of his 13 France caps in 2017, has been named on Didier Deschamps’ standby list, failing to make a 23-man squad that includes Olivier Giroud among seven forward options.
Martial is also on the standby list along with Mamadou Sakho, Moussa Sissoko and Kurt Zouma.
Marseille star Payet limped out of Wednesday’s Europa League final defeat by Atletico Madrid and doubts over his fitness for the trip to Russia forced Deschamps’ hand.
His party includes five players from the Premier League – Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy, Chelsea midfielder Ngolo Kante, Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and Chelsea’s Giroud.
Former Newcastle forward Florian Thauvin takes one of the attacking places ahead of Lacazette and Martial.
Of Payet, Deschamps said: “He was a serious candidate for a place in the 23 but for this kind of injury it’s usually three weeks of recovery. And there is a risk of hurting yourself again with this kind of injury and I must give my final list to FIFA on June 4.”
Bayern Munich forward Kingsley Coman and Paris St-Germain midfielder Adrien Rabiot are the other high-profile players to miss out.
France are in Group C alongside Australia, Peru and Denmark.
France squad:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Adil Rami (Marseille), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)
The Panenka 