Second chance for Evra, Ribery

Patrice Evra and Franck Ribery have been named in France’s squad for Friday’s European qualifier against Luxembourg.

It is the first time the pair will be involved with the national setup following the infamous training ground strike at the World Cup last year, which saw both players reprimanded for their respective roles in the incident.

However, new coach Laurent Blanc has seen fit to reinstate the pair after their lengthy absences.

Ribery, who recently returned from injury, has been gradually finding form with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, while Evra has been a consistent performer for Manchester United.

Evra is likely to fill the left-back role vacated by Barcelona’s Eric Abidal, who is set to have a undergo surgery to remove a liver tumour.

However, Evra will face stiff competition from Arsenal’s Gael Clichy for the open spot.

Blanc’s side currently occupy top spot in Group D on nine points, while their less-fancied opponents are bottom of the table having only recorded a solitary point so far.

France squad: Goalkeepers: Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille).

Defenders: Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Gael Clichy (Arsenal), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Philippe Mexes (AS Roma), Adil Rami (Lille), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Mamadou Sakho (Paris Saint-Germain).

Midfielders: Abou Diaby (Arsenal), Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Yoann Gourcuff (Lyon), Yann M’Vila (Rennes), Samir Nasri (Arsenal), Florent Malouda (Chelsea).

Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kevin Gameiro (Lorient), Guillaume Hoarau (Paris Saint-Germain), Jeremy Menez (AS Roma), Loic Remy (Marseille), Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich).