Les Bleus' double header against Croatia will take place within three days of each other, the second leg at the Stade de France handing Didier Deschamps' side what could be a crucial home advantage.
The big names - Mbappe, Dembele, Kounde, Saliba et al - are all in the French squad as expected, but one notable call up was for Paris Saint-Germain's Desire Doue.
At just 19 years of age, the attacking midfielder has impressed during his first season at PSG, where he's scored seven goals and provided 11 assists in 39 games in all competitions.
After making the leap from Rennes to France's perennial league winners he's actually improved the numbers for his goalscoring and assists; 8G and 6A in 76 matches was his output at his former club.
When calling him up, Deschamps noted: "He's done everything to do well with his club. He has progressed a lot, he is a young player but he's very interesting for us. It's good he can be with us from what he's done over the last few months. Doue is adaptable and can play in many offensive positions."
Arriving late for his first-ever training session with the national team and getting an immediate dressing down from Deschamps won't have done him any favours, though it will have shown him the standards expected on and off the pitch at international level.
Should Deschamps hand him time on the pitch against Croatia either as a starter or substitute he'll no doubt be hoping to see more of the football that Doue displayed at Anfield recently.
The talented teenager came on in the 67th minute of PSG's Champions League win over Arne Slot's Liverpool, previously the favourites for the title, and impressed with his movement and willingness to attack.
Taking the winning penalty in the shoot-out was brave and it required Doue to have nerves of steel too. There wasn't any sign of anxiety as he stepped up to fire home and the confidence with which he despatched his spot-kick was no more than PSG fans have come to expect this season.
Desire Doue has rarely wasted a pass in 2024/25
A season in which everything has begun to slot into place for a player that rarely wastes a pass, as an 86.1% completion rate in the premier European competition would attest. That rises slightly to 86.2 in Ligue 1, and goes some way to showing that despite his tender years, Doue is totally in tune with those around him, even in the heat of battle.
The vast majority of his passes are in opposition territory too, 422 of his 508 in the French top-flight finding their target. It's the same story in the Champions League where 120 of 142 have been successful.
It isn't just his short passing game where he's found success either, given that 23 successful long passes and 12 through balls have been collected by one of his PSG teammates.
An xG of 7.52 denotes a willingness to get into the right areas, and 24 shots from outside the box as well as 25 from inside is a nod once more to the player's confidence in his own ability.
Not frightened to test opposition keepers from anywhere within shooting range, a 58.3% shot conversion rate is one area where he needs to up his game significantly.
His success in headed duels where he's won just seven of 19 could also be improved, however, it's not part of his natural game so one shouldn't be too hard on him in this respect.
Doue has completed a more than respectable 64 dribbles this season, often bamboozling his direct opponent with his quick feet.
He's always on the front foot and ready to move a lightning-fast attack forward when in receipt of the ball, and to his credit there's only been the odd sign of some showboating during 2024/25 as the player is clearly more interested in using his skill set to his and his team's advantage rather than looking good for the cameras.
Just four offside calls being given against him would also suggest that he has already become an expert at timing his runs deep into opposition territory to perfection.
Defensive attributes are also a key element to Doue's game
Players with such an abundance of skills are not normally noted for their defensive attributes, but here too Doue excels.
For all of the team's brilliance in pouring forward at pace - as we saw to its fullest effect against Liverpool - they do need players that can put in a shift in a defensive sense too.
13 interceptions and winning possession back on 111 separate occasions would also speak of a player that has everything in his locker to become one of PSG's future stars.
Of the 47 tackles he's made in the current campaign 32 have been successful, and it's perhaps with this area of his game in mind that he's becoming so important for Luis Enrique.
He's managed to earn his side 44 free-kicks because of fouls against him this season - including 11 inside the final third - and that's because, frankly, he scares defenders.
Ask any player what their worst nightmare is and it will be an opponent running at pace directly towards you. Will he go inside, can I show him down the outside...
From the youngster's own point of view, he can play equally well in all of the midfield and striking positions and it's something he's done throughout his fledgling career.
In short, Doue seems to have the answers to all of the questions that have been asked of him to date, and his star is certainly destined to keep rising.
