Express & Star

Aston Villa's Lucas Digne called up to France squad

Villa defender Lucas Digne has been rewarded for a strong start to the season with a first France call-up for more than two years.

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The 31-year-old left-back received a late call yesterday from French boss Didier Deschamps after Real Madrid’s Ferland Mendy was forced to pull out through injury having initially been named in the squad.

Digne has been capped 46 times by France but the most recent of those came in June 2022 and the somewhat surprise recall revives an international career which was beginning to look finished.

The former Everton and Barcelona man set up Villa’s winning goal in Saturday’s 2-1 victory at Leicester. France face Italy and Belgium in the Nations League. Villa midfielders Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans have been included in the latter’s squad.

Ollie Watkins and Ezri Konsa, meanwhile, will report for England duty this afternoon.