Abidal, Clichy, Nasri not named on France’s World Cup roster

Monaco and former Barcelona defender Eric Abidal has joined Samir Nasri in being left out of 22/1 chances France boss Didier Deschamps’ 23-man squad for the World Cup finals.

Both attacking midfielder Nasri and left back Gael Clichy have been omitted despite winning the Premier League title with Manchester City this season. Abidal, meanwhile, has retired from international football following his omission.

Southampton’s uncapped midfield anchor Morgan Schneiderlin, meanwhile, is on standby, but nine Premier League players are included in the final squad. Les Bleus captain and Tottenham goalie Hugo Lloris is joined by defenders Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Arsenal pair Laurent Koscielny and Bacary Sagna, Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho and Newcastle right back Mathieu Debuchy.

Combative Magpies midfielder Moussa Sissoko and loan star striker Loic Remy complete the English top-flight contingent alongside Gunners frontman Olivier Giroud. Those latter two will complete with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema for a place in attack.

Real Sociedad winger Antoine Griezmann is rewarded for a second successive season of fine La Liga form with a call. He joins key wide player Franck Ribery from Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.

Marseille’s creative force Mathieu Valbuena is included among midfield options which should be familiar to English audiences. Yohan Cabaye, sold to double French champions PSG by Newcastle in January, and ex-Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba (Juventus) are named.

Cabaye’s Parc des Princes teammate Blaise Matuidi, Lyon talent Clement Grenier and Rio Mavuba – a player in manager Deschamps’ own mould – complete the midfield picks. Highly-rated defensive trio Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto) and left back Lucas Digne (PSG) are other inclusions at the back.

Steve Mandanda (Marseille) and Bastia’s Mickael Landreau will provide cover for Lloris in goal. Deschamps overlooked the claims of strikers Andre-Pierre Gignac and Bafetimbi Gomis, playmaker Yoann Gourcuff and AC Milan centre backs Adil Rami and Philippe Mexes, opting for younger names for his standby list.

France World Cup squad, plus seven standbys:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Mickael Landreau (Bastia)

Defenders: Patrice Evra (Man Utd), Bacary Sagna and Laurent Koscielny (both Arsenal), Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Lucas Digne (PSG)

Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye and Blaise Matuidi (both PSG), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Clement Grenier (Lyon)

Forwards: Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Loic Remy (Newcastle, on loan from QPR), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)

Standby: Stephane Ruffier, Benoit Tremoulinas and Loic Perrin (all St-Etienne), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Maxime Gonalons and Alexandre Lacazette (both Lyon), Remy Cabella (Montpellier)

Les Bleus have been drawn in a relatively easy pool for the finals. Group E contains neighbours Switzerland, and Latin American nations Honduras and Ecuador. France are odds-on 8/11 favourites to come top of this round robin in Brazil.