PARIS, May 2 -- France coach Corinne Diacre on Thursday announced the 23-player list for the upcoming FIFA Women's World Cup on their home soil without the French league's top scorer Marie-Antoinette Katoto.
Diacre announced the squad in a prime time news show in the TF1 channel, just as her men's counterpart Didier Deschamps did last year ahead of the World Cup in Russia.
Despite scoring 22 league goals in the campaign, Katoto was left out due to her below-par performance in the women's Champions League this season.
"It was a tough choice," admitted Diacre. "Marie-Antoinette has huge potential. She's young, but she was just missing a little something for me, while others showed a little more."
The all-conquering outfit Lyon unsurprisingly took up the most spots with seven players featuring in the national squad. Lyon have secured the league title and will take on Barcelona in the Champions League final later this month.
France are placed in Group A with South Korea, Norway and Nigeria at the tournament from June 7 to July 7. They will face South Korea in the tournament opener at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Sarah Bouhaddi (Lyon), Solene Durand (Guingamp), Pauline Peyraud-Magnin (Arsenal)
Defenders: Julie Debever (Guingamp), Sakina Karchaoui (Montpellier), Amel Majri (Lyon), Griedge Mbock Bathy (Lyon), Eve Perisset (Paris Saint-Germain), Wendie Renard (Lyon), Marion Torrent (Montpellier), Aissatou Tounkara (Atletico Madrid)
Midfielders: Charlotte Bilbault (Paris FC), Elise Bussaglia (Dijon), Maeva Clemaron (FC Fleury), Grace Geyoro (Paris Saint-Germain), Amandine Henry (Lyon), Gaetane Thiney (Paris FC)
Forwards: Viviane Asseyi (Bordeaux), Delphine Cascarino (Lyon), Kadidiatou Diani (Paris Saint-Germain), Valerie Gauvin (Montpellier), Emelyne Laurent (Guingamp), Eugenie Le Sommer (Lyon).