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France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, has acknowledged that there’s currently no reason to exclude Benjamin Mendy from consideration, though he clarified that the defender’s comeback is not an immediate priority.
In the recent past, the former Manchester City left-back was acquitted of charges related to rape and attempted rape by a jury at Chester Crown Court. Earlier this year, Mendy was also found not guilty of alleged sexual offenses involving several women. After an initial trial resulted in a hung jury, a subsequent retrial concluded with Mendy being declared not guilty.
Following his arrest in 2021, Mendy remained absent from City’s lineup for nearly two years before departing the club when his contract expired in June of this year. Subsequently, he joined Ligue 1 club Lorient in the previous month.
Addressing the possibility of Mendy’s return to the national team, Deschamps commented that while it remains a conceivable option, it is not currently a priority on the agenda. According to French Football Weekly, Deschamps stated, “Given his clearance by the legal system, there’s no justification for me to rule him out as a potential candidate. Nevertheless, his reintroduction is not an immediate consideration.”
Mendy has represented France in ten matches, spanning from 2017 to 2019, during which he was a part of the squad that secured victory in the 2018 World Cup. Prior to his tenure at City, he played for Le Havre, Marseille, and Monaco. His time at City yielded three league titles and two League Cups.
