Didier Deschamps has poured cold water on the possibility of Mamadou Sakho getting a Euro 2016 call-up after UEFA ended his ban for failing a drugs test.
The French defender hasn’t kicked a ball since April after it was revealed that he’d breached doping rules.
He was given a 30-day ban by UEFA following the failed test, but is now available to play after the governing body confirmed they wouldn’t extend it.
That’s led to many speculating that Sakho could earn a place in the France squad for Euro 2016 – after all, he was in strong form for Liverpool before the failed drugs test came to light.
But national team boss Deschamps has ended talk of that with his strong comments this afternoon.
Asked if he’d consider a late call-up for Sakho before Tuesday’s squad deadline, the Les Bleus gaffer said:
Didier Deschamps: "Call up Sakho? I have never thought about it. Or I would no longer have any respect for those that I have selected."
— GFFN EURO 2016 (@GFFNEURO2016) May 29, 2016
Unlike many of his rivals, Deschamps named his 23-man squad earlier this month before they began their warm-up preparations for the tournament.
And despite Raphael Varane and Jeremy Mathieu dropping out through injury, Sakho has been ignored with Samuel Umtiti taking his place.
So any hopeful Liverpool or France fans looking for the defender to be involved come the tournament kick-off next month will be disappointed. Sakho looks to have no chance.
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