France boss Deschamps reveals reasons for selecting Aouar, Camavinga and Upamecano

France manager Didier Deschamps has given details as to why he selected Houssem Aouar, Eduardo Camavinga and Dayot Upamecano ahead of Le Bleus' Uefa Nations League ties against Sweden and Croatia.

The trio, who are of Algeria, Angola and Guinea-Bissau descent, respectively, have been starring in their respective clubs.

Aouar was ever-present for Olympique Lyon as they reached the Champions League semi-finals, seeing off Juventus and Manchester City along the way and the 22-year-old’s technical abilities were too good for Deschamps to ignore.

“He [Aouar] has technical skills, he is able to score goals. He has brought more continuity to his performances,” Deschamps said in a press briefing.

“He's still a young player. We had been following him for a long time. I often talk to [France Under-21 manager Sylvain] Ripoll, he gives me more information.

“[Aouar] is rather versatile, he is an attacking midfielder that can be axial. He is more efficient in the offensive phase, in the use of the ball. He has a lot of interesting things."

Camavinga is a 17-year-old who plies his trade for Rennes and has been linked with a move to Real Madrid. He played 36 times last season, with the Red and Blacks finishing in third place in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever.

He came in as a replacement for Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, who had tested positive for coronavirus, and Deschamps has been impressed by what Camavinga has accomplished at such a young age.

“I know his [Camavinga’s] trainer well. It might come early, but sooner or later it would have come,” Deschamps continued.

“In terms of personality, it shows when he's on the pitch. He has an influence despite his young age. He's able to do things at his age. We will have to be vigilant, but he has a potential that will make him an integral part of this team sooner or later. It is a pleasure to be able to have him with us at this gathering.”

Upamecano, meanwhile, was at the heart of the RB Leipzig defence with his sturdy performances seeing them reach the Champions League semis and finish third in the Bundesliga, qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition for the third season in a row.

“He's [Upamecano] a player we've been following for a long time. He is one of the players who was likely to come,” Deschamps said.

“He is very athletically, he goes fast, good in duels. The ball is not a problem for him, even if he must be careful not to abuse it too much at times. He's young, I felt it was time to prepare him. It is up to him to maintain this level. He still has a good margin of progress."