The France Football Federation has confirmed that Hugo Ekitike (22) has been called up to the France u21s by Gérald Baticle after Stade Rennais forward Arnaud Kalimuendo (22) was forced to withdraw from the squad.
Ekitike had a difficult season last year after he was frozen out of the Paris Saint-Germain squad. The forward was unable to train with the team and was nowhere near match fit when he eventually exited the capital for Eintracht Frankfurt in the January transfer window.
There were glimpses near the end of the season of the player that Frankfurt had acquired when he was able to play 90 minutes more regularly, and Ekitike scored four times and assisted once in his final five games of the campaign.
Ekitike has carried that progress into the first three games of this season with the striker having scored three and assisted twice, his performances finally earning the attention of the Espoirs.