PSG teen Zaïre-Emery gets first France call up

France have called up Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery for the first time, with the 17-year-old included in the squad to face Gibraltar and Greece in their Euro 2024 qualifiers by l coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday.

The teenager has been in impressive form this season, scoring twice in 10 Ligue 1 matches, and has played every minute of PSG’s four UEFA Champions League matches.

“What he is capable of achieving with his club, at his young age, demonstrates enormous potential and well-established maturity,” Deschamps told a press conference.

Zaire-Emery was PSG’s youngest player when he made his debut last season at the age of 16 years and 151 days and was named captain of the France under-21 team in September by the coach Thierry Henry.

Aurélien Tchouaméni was already ruled out of the France squad after injuring his foot during his club Real Madrid’s La Liga victory over Barcelona last month, but Zaire-Emery was still tipped for selection having become a member key to the PSG team.

“The absence due to injury of Aurélien Tchouameni did not necessarily condition the presence or absence of Warren Zaire-Emery,” Deschamps clarified.

The coach was also asked about the possibility of the young midfielder making the squad for the Euro final.

“Why not? If he’s there, he has everything. As long as he does it at PSG and I believe he has the potential to do it at international level, he is a candidate for the Euro.”

Benjamin Pavard is the other absentee after injuring his knee in Inter Milan’s last Serie A match and is replaced by Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who made his France debut in the friendly defeat 2-1 against Germany in September.

France have already qualified for the Euro 2024 finals in Germany, having collected maximum points from their six matches in Group B, and will host Gibraltar on November 18 in Nice before their final group match three days later in Greece.