Total Recall

Published>Fri, Aug 27 10 12:57 PM

France coach Laurent Blanc combined youth with experience in his squad announced on Thursday for the European Championship qualifiers against Belarus and Bosnia-Herzegovina in September. Blanc called up young Lorient striker Kevin Gameiro and veteran Everton forward Louis Saha to compensate for an offense hit by suspensions and weakened by Thierry Henry's international retirement.

"We've tried to build a group that combines youth and talent with players who have a bit more experience," Blanc said. The 23-year-old Gameiro was the second most prolific striker in the French league last season with 17 goals while Saha returns to the France squad after a four-year absence. He was part of the team that reached the 2006 World Cup final.

"Having a team with young players is good, but I believe that it's not enough to be competitive at the top level," Blanc said. "We must try to find people who have a bit more experience and who can guide them."

Blanc was unable to call on Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery, and Lyon defender Jeremy Toulalan, who were suspended by the French Football Federation for their involvement in a World Cup mutiny.

Barcelona defender Eric Abidal escaped sanctions by the federation but was not included in the squad. "I really hope to get over with what happened in South Africa," Blanc said.

As a collective punishment, Blanc dropped all 23 World Cup players for his first match in charge earlier this month - a 2-1 loss in Norway. Of those 23 players, only nine were picked by Blanc on Thursday: goalkeepers Hugo Lloris, Cedric Carrasso and Steve Mandanda; defenders Gael Clichy and Bacary Sagna; and midfielders Abou Diaby, Alou Diarra, Mathieu Valbuena and Florent Malouda.

France will also be without playmaker Yoann Gourcuff, who is suspended for a red card at the World Cup, and the injured Samir Nasri and Aly Cissokho. Blanc also dropped from his squad Tottenham defender William Gallas and forwards Andre-Pierre Gignac and Djibril Cisse. Gignac is recovering from an ankle injury and Gallas lacks match fitness.

Ballack not yet fit for Germany

Berlin: German sports weekly Kicker says Germany coach Joachim Loew is leaving Michael Ballack home for the team's first two 2012 European Championship qualifiers, saying he is not yet fit.

Germany's longtime captain injured his ankle in the FA Cup final, knocking him out of the World Cup. Kicker reported without citing its sources Thursday that Loew will not name Ballack to his lineup. An announcement is planned Friday. Ballack made a successful Bundesliga comeback with Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. The team kept him home from a Europa League qualifier Thursday to "regenerate." He is to play again this weekend.

Iniesta, Torres back for Spain

MADRID: Andres Iniesta and Fernando Torres will both return to the Spain team that opens its qualifying campaign for the 2012 European Championship against Liechtenstein on September 3.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque announced the 21-man squad Thursday for the qualifier and a friendly against Argentina on September 7. The side is virtually unchanged from that which won the World Cup in Johannesburg on July 11.

Iniesta, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final against the Netherlands, was injured for a friendly against Mexico earlier this month, as was Torres. Goalkeeper Pepe Reina will also return to the team after injury kept him out of the squad for the 1-1 draw in Mexico City.

Raul Albiol, Juan Manuel Mata and Javier Martinez were the only players from the World Cup-winning squad not included. Albiol is injured and Mata and Martinez have been called up by the under-21 side, which faces the Netherlands and Poland.

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