Didier Deschamps ‘extends a hand’ to Lucas Chevalier despite reduced PSG role | OneFootball

Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Lucas Chevalier will be part of his latest France squad, admitting the call-up is partly an effort to “extend a hand” to the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper amid a difficult spell at club level.

The former LOSC Lille shot-stopper has struggled for minutes with PSG in recent months, but appearss to have retained the confidence of the national team setup. Speaking on Thursday at a press conference, Deschamps highlighted the precedent of selecting out-of-favour players in order to maintain continuity within the group.

“He’s in a more complicated situation. He doesn’t have game time,” said Deschamps. “That’s something I’ve done often with outfield players, to extend a hand. Lucas has been with us for over a year now. Four months doesn’t mean he’s lost his value.”

Chevalier had previously been touted by some observers as a potential challenger to Mike Maignan for the No.1 spot, will now likely travel as France’s third-choice goalkeeper for the upcoming international break in the United States.

Les Bleus are set to face Brazil on March 26 before taking on Colombia on March 29, in what will serve as an important preparation window ahead of future competitive fixtures.

Deschamps was keen, however, to avoid any long-term projections regarding Chevalier’s international future, particularly with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.

“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring,” he added. “That will be something to reflect on after this gathering. I’m not putting any pressure on Luis Enrique, quite the opposite. We’ll see how things evolve.”GFFN | George Boxall