France will be without Raphael Varane for next month’s trip to Dublin after he announced his international retirement.
But Kylian Mbappe is set to feature as he will only be sidelined for three weeks with the thigh injury that rules him out of PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Manchester United defender Varane, 29, made his announcement today as he wants to concentrate on his club football.
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He was a key figure in Les Blues' run to the World Cup final in December, losing out to Argentina in arguably the greatest decider of all time.
That was his 93rd and final cap for France, who will visit Aviva Stadium on March 27 for a Euro 2024 qualifier with Stephen Kenny’s Ireland.
Varane, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, said: "Representing our great country for a decade has been one of the greatest honours of my life.
“Each time I wore this special blue jersey, I felt immense pride. The duty to give everything, to play with my heart and to win every time we entered the field.
“I have been considering this for several months and have decided that it is the right time for me to retire from international football.
"As a child, I remember following France '98, this team, these players who made us experience indescribable emotions.
“I dreamed of doing like our heroes and, 20 years later, I had one of the best experiences of my life, one that made me really proud. We brought the Cup home!
“I will never forget that. I still feel every single emotion I felt that day, July 15, 2018. It was one of the greatest and most memorable moments of my life.”
Varane added: "I will miss these moments with you for sure, but the time has come for the new generation to take over.
“We have a group of talented young players who are ready to take over, who deserve a chance and who need you.”
Varane follows Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris into international retirement after the goalkeeper stepped down from France duty last month.
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