Raphael Varane and Ibrahima Konate have both been included in the France squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The former had initially been a serious doubt for the tournament after sustaining a thigh injury in Manchester United's Premier League draw with Chelsea last month.

Varane is not expected to play for the Red Devils again before the World Cup break, but he has been declared fit to link up with the reigning champions in a major boost to Didier Deschamps's defensive ranks.

Fellow Premier League defender Konate also makes the cut, despite his own struggles for fitness throughout the season - making just four appearances for Liverpool so far this term.

Even with the inclusions of Varane and Konate, there is still space in the Bleus ranks for Arsenal's William Saliba, who has shone for the league leaders in the early stages of the season.

The Premier League trio headline a defence that has received several fitness boosts, with Lucas Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe and Theo Hernandez all returning after missing September's fixtures.

Jules Kounde, Benjamin Pavard and Dayot Upamecano will also compete for spots in the backline, but left-backs Ferland Mendy and Lucas Digne have not made the cut.

Behind Deschamps's defensive line will be captain Hugo Lloris, Alphonse Areola and Steve Mandanda, the same three goalkeepers who travelled to the 2018 World Cup.

Injuries to Paul Pogba, Corentin Tolisso and N'Golo Kante means that the Bleus midfield has a much different look about it compared to the most recent World Cup, with Adrien Rabiot, Youssouf Fofana, Aurelien Tchouameni, Matteo Guendouzi, Jordan Veretout and Eduardo Camavinga all set for their World Cup debuts.

Up front, there were small concerns over the fitness of Ballon d'Or holder Karim Benzema, who missed Real Madrid's recent clash with Rayo Vallecano due to fatigue in his left thigh.

Benzema is not expected to feature against Cadiz on Thursday night either, but he nevertheless makes the 25-man squad after being absent for Les Bleus' triumph in Russia four years ago.

The 34-year-old links up with fellow veteran Olivier Giroud in the final third, while Antoine Griezmann - who scored four goals in the 2018 tournament - earns a plane ride as expected.

Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Christopher Nkunku and Kingsley Coman complete the attacking lineup for France, with no Wissam Ben Yedder or Moussa Diaby on the list.

France will come up against Tunisia, Denmark and Australia in Group D and kick off the defence of their trophy against the Socceroos on November 22.

FRANCE 2022 WORLD CUP SQUAD IN FULL:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Alphonse Areola (West Ham), Steve Mandanda (Rennes)

Defenders: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Manchester United), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), William Saliba (Arsenal), Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders: Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Jordan Veretout (Marseille), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)

Attackers: Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Milan), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) body check tags ::