Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike may not be called up for France’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers, according to a report.
The centre-forward has hit the ground running since his £79million move from Eintracht Frankfurt with two goals in his opening two Premier League appearances.
France will name their squad on Wednesday afternoon ahead of fixtures against Ukraine on September 5 and Iceland at the Parc des Princes four days later.
However, Ekitike will have to wait longer to get his first international call-up, according to Le Figaro.
The report states that Didier Deschamps’ staff believe that it’s ‘too soon’ to give the 23-year-old a spot in Le Bleus’ senior squad.
Deschamps is unlikely to tinker with his attack, with the World Cup only months away and France facing a tight four-team group where mistakes could prove costly.
The France boss is expected to stick with his established front line, with Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram and Ousmane Dembele among those leading the attack.
While Ekitike has yet to make his debut for France’s senior side, he has already built an impressive record at youth level.
He has scored five goals in just five appearances for the Under-21s, including a hat-trick against England in March.
Ekitike scored his latest goal in Liverpool’s dramatic 3-2 win over Newcastle on Monday night.
Amid speculation over the possible arrival of Alexander Isak before the transfer deadline on Monday, Liverpool boss Arne Slot was quick to single out Ekitike for praise.
‘I think the story should be about Hugo Ekitike for scoring another goal for us. It wouldn’t be fair for me to talk about anything else,’ the Liverpool boss said.
‘He’s had three games with us now and scored three goals. He’s impacted the games he’s played, as have my other attackers.
‘This is not the place to talk about anything else tonight, in my opinion, but I can understand you asking.’
