Hatem Ben Arfa (Nice, winger)
After six months in the footballing wilderness,
the 28-year-old confirmed that he is back
hungrier than ever with a dazzling goal in
Saturday’s 2-1 win against Caen, beating four
defenders before applying the coup de grace. “I
just want to have fun on the pitch again,” he
says. “But there is no lack of ambition.” Ben
Arfa, who won the last of his 13 caps in 2012,
looks to be getting back to his best and, at his
best, he is difficult to ignore.
Abou Diaby (Marseille, midfielder)
Long regarded as the natural successor to
Patrick Vieira, a wretched list of injuries have
denied him the mantle – now 29, he is running
out of time. Diaby has made just 23 appearances
over the past four seasons, including the last of
his 16 caps in September 2012, but after ending
a decade at Arsenal he hopes his new
surroundings at Marseille can bring a change of
fortunes. “I’m in a new chapter and aiming to get
back to my best.”
Lassana Diarra (Marseille, midfielder)
Another man looking to revive his career at the
Stade Vélodrome and, at his best, someone who
can provide backup to the likes of Paul Pogba
and Blaise Matuidi. Former Chelsea and Real
Madrid midfielder Diarra has fallen off the radar
during four years in Russia, and did not make a
single appearance in 2014/15 after being frozen
out at Lokomotiv Moskva. The 30-year-old
marked his first appearance in 14 months with a
goal at the weekend.
Layvin Kurzawa (AS Monaco, defender)
A key part of Monaco’s run to the UEFA
Champions League quarter-finals last season,
Kurzawa appears to have resisted the lure of a
transfer away to continue his development in the
principality. “EURO 2016 at home is clearly a
goal for me,” says the 22-year-old. France are
blessed with left-backs, with Patrice Evra, Benoît
Trémoulinas and Lucas Digne all vying for places,
but Kurzawa is pushing them hard.
Anthony Martial (AS Monaco, forward)
Another Monaco youngster, Martial is the only
uncapped player on this list. He needs to improve
his efficiency in front of goal having managed a
solitary league strike last season, but he is
already on Deschamps’ radar and admits the pair
have spoken. Martial is often compared to
Thierry Henry and will hope to emulate Titi by
making his major finals bow at 20 – 1998 was
not a bad year for Henry or France.
After six months in the footballing wilderness,
the 28-year-old confirmed that he is back
hungrier than ever with a dazzling goal in
Saturday’s 2-1 win against Caen, beating four
defenders before applying the coup de grace. “I
just want to have fun on the pitch again,” he
says. “But there is no lack of ambition.” Ben
Arfa, who won the last of his 13 caps in 2012,
looks to be getting back to his best and, at his
best, he is difficult to ignore.
Abou Diaby (Marseille, midfielder)
Long regarded as the natural successor to
Patrick Vieira, a wretched list of injuries have
denied him the mantle – now 29, he is running
out of time. Diaby has made just 23 appearances
over the past four seasons, including the last of
his 16 caps in September 2012, but after ending
a decade at Arsenal he hopes his new
surroundings at Marseille can bring a change of
fortunes. “I’m in a new chapter and aiming to get
back to my best.”
Lassana Diarra (Marseille, midfielder)
Another man looking to revive his career at the
Stade Vélodrome and, at his best, someone who
can provide backup to the likes of Paul Pogba
and Blaise Matuidi. Former Chelsea and Real
Madrid midfielder Diarra has fallen off the radar
during four years in Russia, and did not make a
single appearance in 2014/15 after being frozen
out at Lokomotiv Moskva. The 30-year-old
marked his first appearance in 14 months with a
goal at the weekend.
Layvin Kurzawa (AS Monaco, defender)
A key part of Monaco’s run to the UEFA
Champions League quarter-finals last season,
Kurzawa appears to have resisted the lure of a
transfer away to continue his development in the
principality. “EURO 2016 at home is clearly a
goal for me,” says the 22-year-old. France are
blessed with left-backs, with Patrice Evra, Benoît
Trémoulinas and Lucas Digne all vying for places,
but Kurzawa is pushing them hard.
Anthony Martial (AS Monaco, forward)
Another Monaco youngster, Martial is the only
uncapped player on this list. He needs to improve
his efficiency in front of goal having managed a
solitary league strike last season, but he is
already on Deschamps’ radar and admits the pair
have spoken. Martial is often compared to
Thierry Henry and will hope to emulate Titi by
making his major finals bow at 20 – 1998 was
not a bad year for Henry or France.
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