New Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike will not make his long-awaited senior debut for France in next month’s World Cup qualifiers after national team boss Didier Deschamps opted to leave him out of the squad announced on Wednesday.
Born in France but of Cameroonian heritage, Ekitike remains eligible to represent the Indomitable Lions at international level as he has yet to win a senior cap for Les Bleus.
His omission keeps the door open for a potential switch should he decide against waiting for France.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed a flying start to life at Liverpool, scoring three goals in his first three matches following his summer move from Eintracht Frankfurt.
Despite this strong form, Deschamps underlined that competition for attacking roles in the French setup is fierce.
“You might see him (Ekitike) a bit more now because he’s at Liverpool, but we also followed him when he was at Frankfurt, where he had a very good season,” Deschamps said at his press conference.
“The fact that he is at Liverpool and continues to perform well is great. But then there’s also competition for his position. Obviously, he has the potential to play for France.”
Deschamps instead named Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Marcus Thuram among his forward options for the September fixtures.
“Between those who are here and those who could be here, I have a choice. Obviously, I can’t take them all,” the France manager explained.
Les Bleus are set to play Ukraine in Wroclaw, Poland, on September 5 before travelling to face Iceland four days later as they continue their push for qualification.
