World Cup 2018: 5 Premier League stars dropped by France

#2 Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Martial is a doubt for the FA Cup final against Chelsea

Martial is a surprise miss from the 23-man squad. The French international had been dropped many times by Jose Mourinho and the player looks keen to get a move away from Old Trafford this summer. The main reason for not selecting him was probably because of his lack of goals. The striker has not scored since January 2018 and Deschamps certainly will not want to have a player with low goalscoring confidence.

A recent knee injury has kept Martial out of the final Premier League match against Watford. With Alexis Sanchez joining him at Manchester United in January, Martial has struggled to make an impact or even have a chance to play for the club.

Martial was dubbed as a hot and rising prospect when he first joined the Red Devils. However, after his standards slipped, his value has decreased over time. The French man is just 22 years old this year and definitely stands a chance to participate in at least another World Cup. The only Premier League forward who has been called up is Olivier Giroud.

The 31 -year-old striker has made over 70 appearances for France and is considered one of the most experienced in the squad. Giroud showed his knack for showing headers, linking up play outside the box and established that he can be an effective substitute for his team. As such, Giroud is very much indeed the man that Deschamps would need. Given his formidable partnership with Griezmann over the years, it will be hard to get any other Premier League striker to work just as well as Giroud.

Chances for Martial will probably come in the next World Cup when he gains more experience and is able to play on a more regular basis. When he was playing for the youth team, Martial has had little difficulties finding the net. After being introduced to the senior squad, he has only scored once in 18 games. This is probably another point why Deschamps has chosen other forwards.