Monaco star Mbappe one of four uncapped players in France squad

PARIS

Monaco teenager Kylian Mbappe was one of four uncapped players Didier Deschamps called up to his 24-man squad for a World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg on March 25 and a friendly against Spain three days later.

Mbappe, 18, has been in astonishing form this season, his opening goal in Monaco's impressive victory over Manchester City in the Champions League last-16 on Wednesday taking his tally for the season to 17 in 31 matches.

"Quality and talent don't have an age," Deschamps said. "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 other uncapped players are Mbappe's Monaco teammate the defender Benjamin Mendy, Marseille winger Florian Thauvin and Lyon midfielder Corentin Tolisso.

France boast an impressive wealth of strikers with Atletico Madrid pair Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gameiro, Arsenal targetman Olivier Giroud, and Marseille's Dimitri Payet all earning call ups on form, as was the sublime Dortmund playmaker Ousmane Dembele.

But there was no place for Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman or Alexandre Lacazette, despite the latter having scored 22 goals for Lyon this season.

"He's doing what he has to do, but I have choices to make," Deschamps said of Lacazette.

"He is one of the players who could have been there.

"He must be disappointed obviously, but I can only urge him to continue doing what he's doing because nothing is stopping him coming back one day."

With a sex-tape blackmail affair still to be settled there is no place either for Real Madrid's Karim Benzema.

France squad
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (Paris SG), Benoit Costil (Rennes), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham/ENG)

Defenders: Presnel Kimpembe (Paris SG), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal/ENG), Layvin Kurzawa (Paris SG), Benjamin Mendy (Monaco), Adil Rami (Sevilla/ESP), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City/ENG), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona/ESP)

Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea/ENG), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Blaise Matuidi (Paris SG), Paul Pogba (Manchester United/ENG), Adrien Rabiot (Paris SG), Corentin Tolisso (Lyon)

Forwards: Ousmane Dembele (Dortmund/GER), Kevin Gameiro (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal/ENG), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Kylian Mbappe (Monaco), Dimitri Payet (Marseille), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)