Soccer: Anelka snubbed by Lemerre

Nicolas Anelka’s hopes of winning a recall to the French team for the World Cup appear all but over after the striker was today left out of Roger Lemerre’s squad for next Wednesday’s friendly against Scotland.

Anelka, who is impressing in a loan spell at Liverpool, was omitted along with Newcastle’s Laurent Robert and Bolton’s Youri Djorkaeff, although there was a recall for Fulham frontman Steve Marlet.

Other Premiership stars named in the squad for the game in the Stade de France on March 27 are Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez and defender Mikael Silvestre, Arsenal quartet Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry and Sylvain Wiltord and Chelsea’s Marcel Desailly and Emmanuel Petit.

Djibril Cisse, whose scoring exploits for Auxerre this season have won him Under-21 caps and brought him to the attention of a number of Premiership clubs, looks set to have to wait another four years for World Cup football after being overlooked.

Squad: F Barthez, M Silvestre (Manchester United), U Rame (Bordeaux); B Lizarazu (Bayern Munich), V Candela (Roma), M Desailly, E Petit (Chelsea), P Christanval (Barcelona), F Leboeuf (Marseille), C Karembeu (Olympiakos), E Carriere (Lyon), C Makelele, Z Zidane (Real Madrid), R Pires, P Vieira, T Henry, S Wiltord (Arsenal), S Marlet (Fulham), D Trezeguet (Juventus).