Anthony Martial has been recalled to the French international setup, GFFN reports.
The world champions have a host of attacking talent and Martial fully merits his place among it.
He has had his best campaign in a red shirt since signing for a fee which could rise to £58 million (BBC) and it’s great to see that recognised by Didier Deschamps.
When did Martial last play for France?
Perhaps surprisingly, Martial has not pulled on the blue jersey for over two years.
His last national team appearance came in March 2018, when Paul Pogba scored in a 3-1 away win over Russia.
Having been part of the squad which was runners up at Euro 2016, Martial was on the standby list for the 2018 World Cup.
That meant he was watching on as Les Blues lifted the most famous prize in the game, but now it looks as if he’ll get the chance to resurrect his international career.
What’s the competition like?
Last time Martial was in the French squad, he was a winger whose confidence had been eroded by Jose Mourinho.
That put him in competition with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Kingsley Coman, among others.
Since then, Solskjaer has transformed him into a deadly number nine.
That means the competition comes from different faces, with Chelsea’s Olivier Giroud a popular Deschamps pick.
Giroud holds the ball up well, but Martial is developing that side of his game all the time and offers far more of a goal threat in behind.
The target man has also been in and out of the Chelsea side and is 33 now.
That may mean a spot is opening up for Martial to spearhead France’s pursuit of the European Championship next summer if he can make the most of his fully-deserved international recall.
Bad news for Pogba
Pogba was not named in the French squad as he has tested positive for Covid-19, GFFN report.
Tottenham midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also received a positive test.
Pogba will now likely have to quarantine and may only return late to United for pre-season when it begins.
United’s first match is against Crystal Palace on September 19.
Hopefully the travel involved with the international friendlies will not cause even more complications.
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