Ekitike handed first France call-up after Cherki thigh injury

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike has received his first call-up to the France squad for next month's World Cup qualifiers, replacing injured forward Rayan Cherki, the French Football Federation said on Sunday.

Cherki, who joined Manchester City in June, has been ruled out for up to two months after sustaining a thigh muscle injury, prompting coach Didier Deschamps to turn to the uncapped Ekitike.

City manager Pep Guardiola said after Sunday's 2-1 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion that Cherki missed the game with an injury and will be sidelined for two months or seven to eight weeks, ruling him out of the Manchester derby on September 14.

The 23-year-old Ekitike was overlooked in the initial squad despite his bright start at Liverpool, with Deschamps citing stiff competition in Les Bleus' attack.

Ekitike has scored three times in as many games since joining the Premier League champions from Eintracht Frankfurt last month. France will face Ukraine in Wroclaw in Poland on September 5 and host Iceland four days later.