France head coach Zinedine Zidane has said former Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema is not part of his plans for the national team.
According to the former Real Madrid manager, his plans are focused on young players.
This came to light after the 54-year-old named his squad for the September international break, where France will face Turkey and Belgium in UEFA Nations League fixtures.
Answering questions on whether Benzema will return to the national team, Zidane said, “I spent extraordinary years with him [Benzema] in Madrid. I adore him. He has played for France.”
"I adore Karim. But he's a certain age, a bit like N'Golo," Zidane said. "I need to see younger players and what we will do together."
"I didn't want to see players sitting in the stands.
He then praised the players he has invited to camp, saying, "They are players who deserve to be here, players I want to see."
France's full squad:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Guillaume Restes.
Defence: Dayot Upamecano, Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, Jérémy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Pierre Kalulu, Maxence Lacroix and Adrien Truffert.
Midfield: Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Eduardo Camavinga, Rayan Cherki and Lucas Da Cunha.
Attack: Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Estéban Lepaul.
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