France coach Laurent Blanc says he has endured a "very difficult" first year in charge trying to revive the fortunes of the national team.

Blanc is on track to guide his side to UEFA EURO 2012 as they look to put the nightmare of their 2010 FIFA World Cup™ campaign behind them.

Les Bleus lead Group D by a point from Belarus ahead of next month's qualifiers away to Albania and Romania. Blanc today named his squad for Wednesday's friendly with Chile in Montpellier, handing a recall to Lille winger Dimitri Payet.

Anniversaries are very well, but they are not the most important thing. This has been a difficult year, very difficult even.
Laurent Blanc, France coach

Sochaux midfielder Marvin Martin was also included but Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery was left out because of injury, while there was also no place for Aston Villa new boy Charles N'Zogbia.

"If we qualify, we will have achieved our goal," Blanc, who celebrates a year since his first game this month, said at a news conference. "Anniversaries are very well, but they are not the most important thing. This has been a difficult year, very difficult even. Nothing is easy."

Blanc also admitted there is no obvious choice as captain in his latest squad and may not select a permanent skipper. "I am giving myself time because you can play with a captain that changes every time," he said. "If there was an obvious choice, we would have made it. There is not one player who stands out for this role."

France squad:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Lyon), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Cedric Carrasso (Bordeaux)
Defenders: Eric Abidal (Barcelona), Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Younes Kaboul (Tottenham Hotspur), Adil Rami (Valencia), Mamadou Sakho (Paris Saint-Germain), Anthony Reveillere (Lyon), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal)
Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (Newcastle United), Alou Diarra (Marseille), Yann M'Vila (Rennes), Florent Malouda (Chelsea), Marvin Martin (Sochaux), Blaise Matuidi (Paris Saint-Germain), Samir Nasri (Arsenal)
Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Kevin Gameiro, Guillaume Hoarau, Jeremy Menez (all Paris Saint-Germain), Loic Remy (Marseille), Dimitri Payet (Lille)