FIFA World Cup 2018: 5 big names to miss out on France's 23-man squad

French football has witnessed a boom in the recent years with several new and exciting talents coming to the fore. This is directly proportional to France's performance in the recent tournaments.

From finishing at the bottom of the group in FIFA 2010 World Cup to marching all the way to the finals of the Euro 2016 on home soil, the resurgence of Les Blues has been unprecedented. So much so that now at the upcoming Russian showpiece, they are one of the favourites; arguably the first time they enter a World Cup with such a tag since 2006.

Given the raft of stellar names available at his disposal, manager Didier Deschamps was spoilt for choice in his selection of the squad. But had to whittle it down to only 23, which subsequently saw some of the big names being left behind. Here are top 5 such players:

#5 Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla)

Ben Yedder was a star in Sevilla's tumultuous campaign

The embarrassment of attacking riches always meant there would be casualties, but Wissam Ben Yedder's is an unfortunate one. The Sevilla forward was in a good form this season, scoring 21 times in all competitions and also laying off another 3 assists.

Even if the Sevillistas as a team endured a turbulent campaign that saw them finish 7th in the league, the French striker was one of the few bright lights. His notable contributions include the brace at Old Trafford in the Champions League to put his side into the last 8 at the expense of Manchester United.

Despite all of that, Olivier Giroud got the nod over him, who had a less than impressive spell at Chelsea preceded by another below-par first-half with Arsenal. Just 12 goals for the season in 42 appearances and that was somehow convincing enough for Deschamps to get him on the place to Russia instead of Ben Yedder.

#4 Adrian Rabiot (PSG)

The presence of bigger and more glamorous names at PSG, especially in attack, shroud players like Rabiot in the darkness. But that doesn't mean he is any less impressive.

The 23-year-old midfielder has assumed a greater role at the club following the departure of Blaise Matuidi to Juventus last summer and has impressed at the middle of the park. Technically gifted, Rabiot has been sound in possession and also helps break opposition lines with incisive forward passes.

His defensive skills have developed too and he has proved to be an able cover for the ageing Thiago Motta. His 92% passing accuracy is bettered only by Vincent Koziello of Nice.

Rabiot is seamlessly growing in stature for the French side but has had the limelight stolen from him by the more eye-catching 'MCN' trio. This may have come back to bite him, as he's now forced to watch his side at the World Cup from his television set.

#3 Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Martial was having a good season with United

Martial's case is seriously a regretful one. He was having another good campaign with the Red Devils before the arrival of Alexis Sanchez curtailed his first-team opportunities. A breakdown of his relationship with manager Jose Mourinho didn't do any good to his cause either, as he was consistently dropped from the squad, something that irked the Mancunians too.

Now the chickens have home to roost. Martial's World Cup hopes are up in flames and he can't be really blamed for that. Despite starting just 18 Premier League games, he scored 9 times and assisted another 5. He also created 30 chances, bettered only by Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku in the team. But the fact they started at least 7 games more than him, makes Martial's figures even more impressive.

His meteoric rise to prominence since joining United in 2015 has now hit a glass ceiling. All these issues coupled with his uncertain future at the club have eclipsed his showings on the field. And that has thrown a spanner in his World Cup hopes.

#2 Dimitri Payet (Marseille)

Payet succumbed to an injury early during the Europa League final

One of the heroes for France at the Euro 2016, Payet was having a fine season with the Ligue 1 side Marseille until injury reared its ugly head. The 31-year old had to be taken off in the first-half of the Europa League final against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, effectively ending his World Cup prospects.

The former West Ham United man, until then, had all but confirmed his place in the squad. In 40 appearances, he had a hand in 30 goals - scoring 10 himself, and assisting another 20! A total of 13 of those came in the league, the joint-highest of the season with Neymar.

His exploits in the final third have also put Marseille on the brink of a Champions League return as they currently sit fourth, just a point adrift of direct qualification. His absence would naturally be a big blow for France, just like it was for the Olympians in that final.

#1 Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal)

Lacazette's scoring prowess with Arsenal wasn't enough

Arsenal's record signing failed to inspire the Gunners to a successful campaign. But on an individual note at least, it was a decent one for Lacazette. The Frenchman started off his new sojourn with a bang, scoring 4 times in the first 6 games, but his form petered off as the season progressed.

Yet, he finished as the season's top scorer for Arsenal, scoring 17 times in all, 14 of which came in the Premier League, some reasonably good figures considering this was his first season in the British top-tier. The arrival of Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund, however, made life more difficult for him while a knee injury in early February that ruled him out for a month further compounded his misery.

He too is currently on the standby list by manager Deschamps, and he can only hope for one of his counterparts to pick up an injury before the start of the campaign.