Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba and Tottenham's record-signing Tanguy Ndombele have both tested positive for COVID-19.
Their positive results mean they won't be called up by Didier Deschamps for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures against Sweden and Croatia, with Pogba replaced by exciting 17-year-old Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.
After playing key role in Les Blues 2018 World Cup triumph, Pogba was set to make his return to the national team next month after a year-long absence.
However, L'Equipe reports that his positive test makes it impossible for Pogba to play in the upcoming fixtures and he'll instead be forced into a 14-day quarantine.
The United man enjoyed a fine run of form following the Premier League's resumption in June after recovering from an ankle issue. Pogba forged a deadly relationship with January signing Bruno Fernandes, as the pair spearheaded the Red Devils' rise to a third-place finish and a spot in next season's Champions League.
Ndombele's place in Deschamps' squad, meanwhile, was already in question due to his indifferent debut campaign at Spurs, but he's nonetheless been a regular in the France squad over the past 18 months.
The Spurs man is understood to have been in his homeland recovering from a hamstring issue which brought an early end to his disappointing 2019/20 season. Ndombele was absent from José Mourinho's squad which overcame Ipswich 3-0 in a pre-season friendly on Saturday.
The pair of positive tests were confirmed by Deschamps after he announced his squad for France's September fixtures on Thursday afternoon.
Alongside Camavinga, Lyon's Houssem Aouar and RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano - two stars from the recent Champions League epilogue in Lisbon - also earned their maiden senior call-ups, while Anthony Martial returns to Les Blues squad for the first time since 2018.
Source : 90min