French fancies

Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and N’Golo Kante all arrive for France training as Monaco starlet eyes first international cap

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Kylian Mbappe will be hoping to make his France debut ahead of their double header of fixtures

ALL eyes will be on Monaco starlet Kylian Mbappe ahead of France’s double header of fixtures against Luxembourg and Spain.

The 18-year-old wonderkid is set to earn his first international cap following his meteoric rise in Ligue 1 this season.

 

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Dimitri Payet remains in the French squad following move to Marseille in January

And his first call-up has come at the perfect time with Mbappe hitting red-hot form with another unstoppable performance at the weekend.

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The talented striker played a huge part in Monaco’s 3-0 away win against Caen and opened the scoring before winning a penalty with a sensational turn of pace.

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He then rounded off Monaco’s easy win with a header to bag his 11th goal in nine games.
And he will be hoping to continue his scoring streak alongside the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Blaise Matuidi as the French squad check in for their international break in Clairefontaine, near Paris.

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N’Golo Kante has a growing reputation as one of the best midfielders in world football

Looking relaxed, he waved to the cameras who were hoping to catch shots of the rest of France’s international stars.

International Friendlies -21st March 2017, 09:00

N’Golo Kante, who has been arguably the Premier League’s best player this campaign, is unsurprisingly in the squad whilst Dimitri Payet’s January move to Marseille hasn’t prevented boss Didier Deschamps from selecting him.

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Antoine Griezmann remains the poster boy in France’s team

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Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud dons a strange blend of clothing

     

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Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris was all smiles as he edges closer to his 90th cap

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Layvin Kurzawa also made a fashion statement with his choice of footwear

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Manchester City’s Bacary Sagna could be leaving the Etihad in the summer

Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris was all smiles and it is no wonder after his side closed in on a top four spot with a 2-1 victory over Southampton on Sunday.
But it will be Mbappe hoping to make an instant impact as Deschamps admits “quality and talent don’t have an age”.
He said: “Quality and talent don’t have an age. I find Kylian very mature.
“Everyone can ask themselves the question ‘is this the right moment?’.
“I wanted to see him in the squad because of what he’s done, with the profile of a striker and specific qualities.
“His strength is his serenity, his calmness when one-on-one with a goalkeeper. For a youngster of his age, it’s very rare.”

 (The Sun, UK)