L’Equipe claim that Alexandre Lacazette is ‘deeply disappointed and affected’ by missing out on World Cup selection and only making the reserve list.
The forward, who was Arsenal’s leading goalscorer despite knee surgery and the fact it was his debut season in a new country, was notified that he would not be in the final 23 when he was back in his hometown of Lyon.
This marks the third time in a row he has been named as a reserve rather than making the full list, furthering rumours that France manager, Didier Deschamps, has a personal issue with the forward.
L’Equipe also write that he is ‘tormented by the disappointment’.
Lacazette scored 17 goals in 39 appearances for Arsenal with his form not really taking off until he returned from a minor knee procedure earlier this year.
He scored five goals and created one in his final six games of the season and could rightly have presumed he had hit form just in time for selection.
Historically, Deschamps has opted against using Lacazette. Descamps has taken charge of 74 matches for his country since he was appointed manager in 2012. He has selected Lacazette 16 times despite him scoring 37 goals last season, 23 the season before, 31 in 14/15 and 22 in 13/14.
Olivier Giroud, meanwhile, has been selected by Didier Deschamps 61 times.
Last season (17/18), Lacazette, despite suffering a knee problem and playing in a new country at a new club in a new league, averaged a goal or assist every 125 minutes. Giroud every 143.
L’Equipe article in full via Google Translate
Alexandre Lacazette was in Lyon, among his family, Thursday, when he learned that he was not on the list of twenty-three players retained by Didier Deschamps to compete in the World Cup, but rather in the list of alternates. This is the third time in a row that Lacazette (26), best Arsenal forward, this season in the Premier League (14 goals), is a reserve or substitute. And it is the first time, because of a preparation which begins at twenty-two that he is not invited to the first days of internship.
Deeply disappointed and affcted by this non-selection, he thought he had convinced by his match and his double in Germany (2- 2, November 14, 2017) and thanks to an end of season marked by a high performance in Europa League’s semi-final against Atlético Madrid, in which he also scored (1- 1, 26 April), he preferred not to express himself. He changed his mind this weekend, going to see football. He was at Groupama Stadium to cheer OL against Nice (3- 2, Saturday), and he joined his former team-mates, coaches and leaders in the evening that followed and which celebrated the qualification of Lyon for the Champions League.
Tormented by disappointment, he asks a thousand questions, but remains active, as the staff of the France team asked of the alternates. If he is not called by June 4, he will look to the next season of Arsenal, who will resume training in the early days of July and will tour including in Singapore, where he will meet Atlético, July 26, then PSG, two days later, which will allow Unai Emery to see his former players, as well as his former leaders.