France manager Didier Deschamps has explained why Hugo Ekitike has been left out of his squad for their upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.
The new Liverpool recruit has got his Merseyside career off to a flyer since joining in a £79million move from Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring in each of his first three competitive appearances for the club.
Having played for Les Bleus at youth level, Ekitike would no-doubt have been hoping such form would be enough to earn him his first call-up to the France Men's team for their fixtures against Ukraine and Iceland in early September.