Bakayoko earns maiden call for France football team

Paris, March 21: Monaco young midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has received his first call-up into the French football team to replace the injured Paul Pogba for the 2018 World Cup qualifier later this week.

Also on Monday, France head coach Didier Deschamps called up Lyon right-back Christophe Jallet to replace injured Bacary Sagna of Manchester City, reports Xinhua news agency.

The 22-year-old Bakayoko has been linked with a move to Chelsea and Manchester United.

Bakayoko finished a decisive header to eliminate Manchester City in Champions League last week, earning his club a quarter-final spot in the tournament.

Bakayoko is the fifth Monaco player in Les Bleus, along with Benjamin Mendy, Thomas Lemar, Djibril Sidibe and the 18-year-old sensation Kylian Mbappe.

France, Group A leaders with a three-point margin, will visit Luxembourg on Saturday, before hosting Spain in a friendly next Tuesday.