May 16th 2024.
Last summer, the beloved Chelsea player N'Golo Kante made the surprising decision to leave the club and join Al Ittihad. However, despite this move, Kante has now been unexpectedly recalled to the France squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 tournament. This news has shocked many, especially since two of his current Chelsea teammates have been left out of the squad.
On Thursday night, manager Didier Deschamps announced the final 25-man squad for the European Championships. As expected, France is considered the top contender for the title, with the talented Kylian Mbappe leading the team as both the star player and captain. Mbappe was instrumental in France's 2018 World Cup victory, along with Kante who unfortunately missed out on the 2022 World Cup due to injury.
Kante's return to the squad has come as a surprise, considering he has not played for France since 2022 and now plays in the Saudi Pro League, far from the top European competitions. However, his inclusion can be attributed to a lack of options in the defensive midfield position, which has been further weakened by Boubacar Kamara's long-term injury.
Interestingly, no current Chelsea players have been called up for the squad, with the likes of Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, and Christopher Nkunku all being snubbed. Disasi's recent form has been underwhelming and Nkunku has been plagued by injuries this season, which could explain their exclusions. However, Gusto has been one of the Premier League's top-performing right-backs this season and could have easily been named Chelsea's Player of the Year if not for Cole Palmer's outstanding performances.
The full squad for Euro 2024 includes some controversial and unexpected choices, such as only selecting one natural right-back, Jonathan Clauss, and a natural center-back in Jules Kounde, who occasionally plays on the right for Barcelona. Additionally, Deschamps has only chosen 25 players for the squad, despite having the option to select 26.
Some other notable players who have been left out of the squad are Mo Simakan, Jean Clair Todibo, Matteo Guendouzi, Moussa Diaby, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Michael Olise, who have all been in fantastic form for their respective clubs. Only three Premier League players have been selected - West Ham's Alphonse Areola, Arsenal's William Saliba, and Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate.
It will be interesting to see how this squad fares in the upcoming tournament, with many surprises and omissions. But for now, Chelsea fans will be disappointed to see their current players not included in the squad, and will eagerly await the return of their beloved N'Golo Kante to the national team.
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