Zouma and Fekir handed France call-ups

Defender Zouma has been selected after breaking into the Chelsea side under Jose Mourinho this season, while Lyon midfielder Fekir opted for France over Algeria earlier this month.

Fekir has 13 goals to his name this season and is one of four players from the Ligue 1 leaders named in the squad by coach Didier Deschamps.

Christophe Jallet, Maxime Gonalons and Alexandre Lacazette are also included, along with Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, who has just one previous cap to his name.

Juventus star Paul Pogba misses out because of an injury picked up in their UEFA Champions League win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.

Paris Saint-Germain's Yohan Cabaye is also absent due to injury, while his team-mate Lucas Digne and Monaco's Layvin Kurzawa have both been left out after featuring against Sweden in November.

Deschamps' men welcome Brazil to the Stade de France on March 26 and then meet Denmark at Saint-Etienne's Stade Geoffroy-Guichard three days later.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Stephane Ruffier (Saint-Etienne)

Defenders: Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Christophe Jallet (Lyon), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal, Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Patrice Evra (Juventus), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Benoit Tremoulinas (Sevilla), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)

Midfielders: Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle United), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton),  Maxime Gonalons (Lyon), Geoffrey Kondogbia (Monaco), Dimitri Payet (Marseille)

Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Mathieu Valbuena (Dynamo Moscow).