Uncapped Tottenham center back Younes Kaboul was called up by France as cover for Wednesday's friendly against England at Wembley after Philippe Mexes injured a calf muscle.
France coach Laurent Blanc said Mexes is suffering ''severe pain'' in his calf after having played the full 90 minutes for AS Roma in the 1-1 draw at Juventus in the Italian league on Saturday.
''We have to see how Mexes develops,'' Blanc said Monday.
Kaboul, who has established himself as a regular for Tottenham in recent weeks, has played for France's under-21 team but has never previously been called up by the senior team.
Lille's Adil Rami and Mamadou Sakho of Paris Saint-Germain are the other center halves in France's squad for the match, but Blanc may prefer to start Kaboul, who has experience of marking England's strikers from playing in the Premier League.
The versatile Kaboul can also play at right back.
