Samir Nasri, who was instrumental in helping Manchester City to win the Premier League title, was left out of France’s World Cup squad when Didier Deschamps unveiled a 23-man list plus seven standby players yesterday.

Nasri, who has a reputation of being a troublemaker and was disappointing in Les Bleus’s playoff first leg against Ukraine last year, was a notable absentee along with defender Eric Abidal.

Abidal, who has been used sparingly by Claudio Ranieri at Monaco during the second part of the season, has been deemed not good enough to travel to Brazil.

French radio RMC reported that Abidal, 34, is retiring from international football.

“Samir is an important player for Manchester City but he has not performed that well with France,” Deschamps said.

“He is a starter at City, which is not the case with France and he has made clear that he is not happy when he is not (a starter), and I can tell you it can be felt in the squad.

“I built the best squad, I did not pick the 23 best French players.”

Also left out was City fullback Gael Clichy, who was at the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 but Deschamps instead picked the talented yet inexperienced Lucas Digne of Paris SG.