PARIS: Rayan Cherki earned his France call up when he was named in the squad for the Nations League final four by head coach Didier Deschamps on Wednesday.

Les Bleus, however, will be without centre back William Saliba, who is suffering from a hamstring injury and full back Jules Kounde through a thigh injury as the team gear up for their semi-final clash against Spain on June 5 in Stuttgart.

They will then take on Portugal or Germany for third place or in a title showdown three days later.

Cherki, 21, has been a standout performer in Ligue 1 this season, contributing significantly to Olympique Lyonnais’ attacking prowess after long struggling to fulfil his terrific potential.

Various players — Marcus Thuram, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dem­bele, Desire Doue, Warren Zaire-Emery, Benjamin Pavard, Lucas Hernandew — will come off the Champions League final between Paris St-Germain and Inter Milan on May 31.

But motivation will not be an issue, Deschamps believes.

“I don’t need to motivate them. Spain are certainly the best European team with players who are extre­mely high-performing,” he said. “Barca aren’t in the Champions League final, so they’ll probably be fre­sher. Of course, there’s Lam­ine Yamal, who does extraordinary things. But he’s not the only one we need to keep an eye on.”

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2025