Called up to the France national team after Paul Pogba pulled out through injury, Mattéo Guendouzi could be in line for his first appearance with his country’s first-team in the next few days.
The World Champions face Albania and Andorra in the Euro 2020 qualifiers, and while the likes of Blaise Matuidi and Moussa Sissoko are likely to start ahead of him, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Didier Deschamps bring the Arsenal youngster on if his team are in the lead.
Speaking to the press on Friday ahead of the Albania game, the France national team manager said (via RMC Sport): “He’s a modern box to box midfielder. I expect young players to bring that freshness, that energy, He’s a bit behind everyone, it’s the first time he’s with us. It’s a step for him”.
Guendouzi has already commented on his surprise call-up, revealing he struggled to sleep after the news broke he would replace the aforementioned Manchester United star.
📢💬 Deschamps sur Guendouzi : "C'est le milieu de terrain moderne box to box. Ce que j'attends des jeunes, c'est qu'ils apportent cette fraîcheur, ce dynamisme. Il est un peu sur la réserve, c'est la première fois qu'il est avec nous. C'est une étape" 🇫🇷 #FRAALB
— RMC Sport (@RMCsport) September 6, 2019
Bought from Lorient for around £7m last summer, the 20-year-old was never expected to immediately be a mainstay under Unai Emery, and yet here he is, getting the reward for all the hard work and sacrifices he’s put in over the years.
And even if he doesn’t manage to step onto the pitch, the fact he was even considered by Deschamps shows he’s on the right path to be a regular for his country in the future.
