Corentin Tolisso (31) has excelled since making the return to formative club Olympique Lyonnais. He now wears the captain’s armband. In 36 games in all competitions this season, he has scored 13 goals. Due to the departure of Georges Mikautadze late in the transfer window, he has had to fill in as a makeshift No.9 at times, whilst he has also played in the No.10 role and as a No.8.

His versatility has been an asset to Paulo Fonseca. It could be to Didier Deschamps, too, but the France manager has opted against recalling the former Bayern Munich midfielder. That is despite calls, lobbying, and Tolisso publicly stating his ambition to add to his 28 caps in Bleu.

There are no more international breaks before the FIFA World Cup this summer. Having failed to earn a recall in March, his dream of returning to the international set-up is fading. Speaking after Lyon’s 3-2 win over AJ Auxerre on Saturday, Tolisso revealed his disappointment.

“I was a bit disappointed when the last squad was announced. I believed [I would be there]. I have promised myself that I won’t talk about it in the media anymore. What will happen will happen. You can dream. I am working,” he said in his post-match interview.