Crystal Palace forward Mateta earns first senior call-up to France
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PARIS (AP) — Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was called up by France for the first time on Thursday for World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland.
Coach Didier Deschamps is dealing with absences in attack that include injured Paris Saint-Germain strikers Désiré Doué and Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, as well as Marcus Thuram.
Mateta sustained a serious head injury last year that required 25 stitches on a severely lacerated ear. He has been a key part of Crystal Palace’s excellent start this season. The 28-year-old forward has four goals in 10 games in all competitions. Still unbeaten in the Premier League, the London club sits in third place behind Liverpool and Arsenal.
“He’s not exactly young, even if he went through almost all the youth national teams. Wherever he plays, he has the ability to score goals,” Deschamps said. “He has an interesting profile.”
Mateta was part of the France team that won the silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, scoring five goals as he became a fan favorite.
AC Milan striker Christopher Nkunku also benefited from the absence of injured players and was recalled by Deschamps.
France hosts Azerbaijan on Oct. 10 then plays at Iceland three days later. France top Group D with two wins from two games.
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France:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Lucas Chevalier (PSG), Brice Samba (Rennes).
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (PSG), Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona).
Midfielders: Manu Koné (AS Roma), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Khéphren Thuram (Juventus), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille).
Forwards: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Kingsley Coman (Al-Nassr), Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Christopher Nkunku (AC Milan)
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer