Houssem Aouar with the Bleuets during France-Azerbaijan, October 10, 2019. – FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP
After Didier Deschamps on Tuesday, Sylvain Ripoll announced this Thursday afternoon the list of 23 players selected to play the final phase of the Euro hopes in Slovenia. After a first round played at the end of March, the Bleuets will face the Netherlands in the quarter-finals on May 31.
There are some notable changes compared to the group that played this first phase. Those forced, already. Defender Jules Koundé was selected with the A, while captain Matteo Guendouzi and attacking midfielder Alexis Claude-Maurice were seriously injured. On the other hand, Ripoll decided to do without the Marseillais Boubacar Kamara, who had nevertheless been on all the lists for two years.
The list of 2️⃣3️⃣ players selected to play the final phase of the Euro Espoirs, scheduled from May 31 to June 6 in Hungary and Slovenia! 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/Nc1VDDjqkF
– French team ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) May 20, 2021
Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Caqueret and Youssouf Fofana make their entry into the list. Finally, Moussa Diaby and Houssem Aouar, who were in March but had to give up respectively because of the Covid and an injury, are back. “It’s an atypical profile, of speed and percussion. It’s a return that brings us other characteristics and other possibilities, ”explained the coach of the former Paris striker, today at Bayer Leverkusen.
Three players may be affected by the dams in L1
Eduardo Camavinga, too close to claim the Greats Euro after an average season, is there in midfield. “He’s coming back with us, and we’re very happy,” said Ripoll. Note that three players – Nantes Lafont and Kolo Muani, as well as Brestois Faivre – could be affected by the jump-off between the 18th in Ligue 1 and the winner of the duel between Grenoble and Toulouse.
If necessary, this or these player (s) would be “released to play the dam,” said the coach. “We’ll see what happens on Sunday. I hope to have everyone but if that is not the case, we will do with it and we will adapt, ”he added. After the quarterfinals, the potential semi-final would take place on June 3, and the final on June 6, in Ljubljana.