· France have named their 25-man squad for Euro 2024.
· Top talents like Michael Olise, Moussa Diaby, and Jean-Clair Todibo have all been left out.
· Chelsea duo Malo Gusto and Axel Disasi will also be watching the tournament from home.
With the European Championships now less than a month away and firmly on the horizon, some of the continent's top nations have begun to reveal the shortlist of players who will be included in their squads once the tournament gets underway. With the competition taking place shortly after the club campaign wraps up, you typically see the stars that have shone that year rewarded with a spot in their national team's set up. There have already been some shocking reveals, though, as Julian Nagelsmann shared the Germany squad that he would be taking with him and both Leon Goretzka and Champions League finalist Mats Hummels were left out.
Germany is far from the only country to make a stir with their selection. France has also made headlines for the sheer number of talented players that won't be included when they head to Germany next month. While Didier Deschamps has recalled N'Golo Kante to the side for the first time since 2022, he's left out some pretty notable stars. Here are the 10 best players to miss out.
Michael Olise
Throughout the second half of the campaign, Crystal Palace have been on a roll. Under Oliver Glasner, they've put together a series of very impressive results and have slowly climbed up the Premier League table, with a shot at a top-half finish now very much on the cards. One man who is playing a massive role in their success is Michael Olise. The 22-year-old joined the Eagles in 2021, and after a slow start that was hampered by injuries, he's come alive this season.
In just 18 appearances, the winger has chalked up 15 goal contributions so far and it's easy to see why he's been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park. Somehow, though, he's been left out of the France squad for the European Championships this summer and is yet to receive a single cap for the country. With the former World Cup winners taking Bradley Barcola in a similar position to Olise, the Palace man should feel hard done by. With the eligibility to play for England, Nigeria or Algeria as well, France needs to buck their ideas up quickly and get him into the national set-up if they don't want to lose him to a rival nation.
Moussa Diaby
Having played a pivotal role in guiding Aston Villa back to the Champions League for the first time in over 40 years, Moussa Diaby's stock has risen significantly over the last 12 months. Through his debut campaign in England, the winger has recorded 19 goal contributions throughout all competitions and has been one of Unai Emery's strongest assets. Still, it seemingly wasn't enough to earn a spot in the France squad for the European Championships.
While he doesn't play on quite as grand a stage as some like Ousmane Dembele, Diaby would fit like a glove within the French national team and there's no doubt that he would rise to the occasion for his country and adapt well to the biggest stages.
Jean-Clair Todibo
As a key figure in the best defence in Ligue 1 this season, Jean-Clair Todibo can feel aggrieved that he wasn't selected to play for France in the Euros this summer. The centre-back has been immense for OGC Nice throughout the last 12 months and has really emerged as an influential figure at the back for the club.
Considering he's still just 24 years old, there is plenty of time down the line for the former Barcelona man to force his way into the national team, but it's a shame that after the stellar campaign he's just had, he won't be taking part this summer.
Malo Gusto
With Reece James missing almost the entire 2023/24 season, someone needed to step up and fill his pretty sizeable shoots on the right-hand side of defence for Chelsea and, fortunately for the Blues, Malo Gusto did just that. In his very first season of English football, the 20-year-old stood up to the task and did a fine job for Mauricio Pochettino's side. James is crucial to the way the club play, so it would have been easy for Gusto to crumble under the pressure of filling in for the club's leader, but he actually rose to the challenge.
The future looks very promising for Gusto and if he can build off this campaign, he'll only get better at Stamford Bridge going forward. A spot in the French squad this summer would have been massive for his development. Instead, Deschamps turned to experience and selected Marseille's 31-year-old full-back Jonathan Clauss.
Axel Disasi
Another fine Chelsea defender who has missed out is Axel Disasi. There were some teething problems when he first moved to Stamford Bridge last summer, but the centre-back has come along nicely as the campaign has progressed. He's contributed on both ends of the pitch for the Blues this year and with Thiago Silva leaving in the summer, his role at the club is only going to get bigger from here on out.
The 26-year-old has all the makings of a very talented defender and one that the national team might have benefitted from including this summer in the European Championships, but as things stand, he'll be watching from home.
Other Top Names Missing Out
Those five aren't the only players not included in the French squad this summer, though. There are a number of other quality footballers who have also been left out of Deschamps' plans, including a former Arsenal player and one of Chelsea's biggest signings of the last 12 months.
Whether it's injuries, something Christopher Nkunku and Lucas Hernandez have been dealing with, or the sheer fact that they've been overlooked for other names that fill their position within the team, these are five more incredible French players that won't be featuring for the country this summer.
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