Aymeric Laporte is the only Manchester City outfield player to have played every minute of Premier League and Champions League action so far this season, and he has emerged as one of best centre-backs in England, if not the best.
Yet his last France call-up came in March 2017 and he has never been capped by his country. That fact has never looked stranger than when Didier Deschamps called upon Adil Rami and Mamadou Sakho to help fill the gap left by the injured Samuel Umtiti out injured.
There had been some doubt around Laporte’s intentions, given he is also eligible to play for Spain, but ahead of City’s opening Champions League game, against Lyon in September, Laporte confirmed that is determined to play for France.