(Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Raymond Domenech has named a 25-man squad for France’s upcoming friendlies against Nigeria and Turkey. Both Patrick Vieira and Florent Malouda are recalled after lengthy absences and there is also a surprise call for Loïc Rémy of Nice.
Les Bleus are not in competitive action this summer and will not resume their qualification attempts until August. France currently occupy second place in Group Seven, two points behind leaders Serbia.
In the two end-of-season friendlies, Domenech’s France side first face Nigeria in St. Etienne on June 2 before entertaining Turkey in another friendly in Lyon.
Vieira hasn’t featured for the French national side since November last year in a friendly draw with Uruguay.
The Inter Milan midfielder is still national captain but has seen his appearances increasingly limited due to persistent injury problems. Vieira has appeared only 19 times for Inter in Serie A this season, starting only 10 of those.
Domenech pointed to a vast improvement in form during the second half of the season as the reason for recalling Florent Malouda.
However, it is believed that there may have been a private meeting between the Chelsea winger and Domenech to iron out any lingering differences after Malouda was publically critical of the French manager last September in L’Equipe.
Loïc Rémy represents the only other notable inclusion. The Nice striker was a replacement call-up after an injury to Jimmy Briand for the matches against Lithuania in late March and early April but did not appear in either match and remains uncapped.
The match against Nigeria will see the French players sport special shirts with the names on the back of their shirts in Braille to mark the bicentenary of Louis Braille’s birth.
The captain of the French Blind Football Team will take the kick-off for the friendly match which is seeing the French F.A. link up with the French Blind Association (La Fédération des aveugles de France) in order to better publicise the universal writing system for the blind created by Louis Braille, who was born in 1809.
France Squad to face Nigeria and Turkey
Goalkeepers: Cedric Carrasso (Toulouse), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Jean-Alain Boumsong (Lyon), Julien Escudé (Sevilla), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Rod Fanni (Rennes), Philippe Mexes (Roma), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Sebastien Squillaci (Sevilla)
Midfielders: Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid), Yoann Gourcuff (Bordeaux), Sidney Govou (Lyon), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich), Jeremy Toulalan (Lyon), Patrick Vieira (Inter Milan)
Forwards: Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea), Karim Benzema (Lyon), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Toulouse), Thierry Henry (Barcelona), Loïc Rémy (Nice)
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