France coach Didier Deschamps rejected the idea he will stick with his World Cup-winning squad moving forward.
Deschamps initially called up each of his World Cup players, minus the injured Steve Mandanda, for the Nations League games against Germany and Netherlands, but injured captain Hugo Lloris has since been replaced by Montpellier’s Benjamin Lecomte.
Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Deschamps denied that the door is closed to certain players and said that any could be called up at any moment.
“The door is open to everybody in the future,” Deschamps said. “Of course, there is a solid core, but we keep an eye on about 50 players.”
Deschamps also shot down the idea that being World Cup winners will be a burden to certain players moving forward.
“It is only a question of targeting new goals,” he said. “The Nations League is one, while qualification for the 2020 European Championship is another.”
Lloris, who missed the 2-1 loss away at Watford on Sunday, will miss both Nations League games because of a thigh injury.
Deschamps has called up Lecomte as a replacement for Mandanda, which means Paris Saint-Germain’s Alphonse Areola is in line to start against Germany on Thursday.
“Alphonse is constantly progressing,” Deschamps said. “He had a great season with PSG and he knows this squad. In the logical order of hierarchy, he will play on Thursday. I stress that Lloris and Mandanda will be at Stade de France on Sunday, though, although they will not be playing.”
And, with Lloris absent, Deschamps will turn to either Blaise Matuidi or Raphael Varane, the squad’s vice-captains, and not Paul Pogba to wear the armband.
“Although Paul did great things at the World Cup, I do not intend to upset the established order,” he said.
Kylian Mbappe was shown his first career red card in a 4-2 win away at Nimes on Sunday and Deschamps said he should grow from the experience.
“I have not yet spoken with Kylian about it,” Deschamps said. “The context is particular, and it does not explain everything. However, Kylian is intelligent and will learn. He is still young and I do not want to make too big a deal out of this.”
On Mbappe’s positioning, Deschamps said that the 19-year-old “can play all across the front, including the middle” and that there is “less defensive work as a No. 9,” but he stressed the “team’s logic and balance.”
France travel to Germany on Thursday and then host Netherlands at Stade de France on Sunday in their first home match since winning the World Cup against Croatia in July.