Hernandez Returns to France Squad; Kante and Pogba Excluded

The French national football team has called up defender Lucas Hernandez for their squad to face Ireland in the Euro 2024 qualifiers this month, along with a friendly match against Germany, while midfielder N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba have been left out. Hernandez missed several months last season due to an ACL injury sustained during the World Cup, but he has played three matches in Ligue 1 with Paris Saint-Germain this season after joining the French champions in July. Arsenal defender William Saliba also returns to the squad after recovering from a back injury that sidelined him earlier this year. Kante, the 2018 World Cup winner who joined Al-Ittihad in June, has been excluded from the lineup. The 32-year-old has struggled with a series of injuries in recent years, playing only two matches for France since 2022. Didier Deschamps, the coach of France, told reporters: "He has played again. He had some consecutive matches. Not all of them were full games, he's just come back after nearly a year. I felt he needed to continue improving. The players who were involved in his absence met my expectations." He added, "Kante is still eligible for selection, but in this gathering, I aim to continue relying on the young players who have already met my expectations of playing at the highest levels." Pogba made one substitute appearance with Juventus this season after knee surgery and muscle injuries limited his participation to just 161 minutes last season. France, leading Group B, will host Ireland on September 7 at the Parc des Princes before traveling to face Germany on September 12.