Didier Deschamps has told Khephren Thuram he still has "steps to take" before the Nice midfielder is established in the France squad.
Thuram's exceptional 2022/23 season earned him a first senior cap with Les Bleus when he appeared in the 4-0 win over the Netherlands in March.
The 22-year-old has not played for his country at senior level since, though did feature for the U21s in their disappointing UEFA EURO outing in the summer.
He has yet to score or register an assist for Nice this season, but has helped Francesco Farioli's men to second in the Ligue 1 Uber Eats table by the November international break. His elder brother, Marcus, is now a first-choice selection at centre-forward for Didier Deschamps, but Khephren was only called up for France's remaining UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers against Gibraltar and Greece after Eduardo Camavinga was injured.
"He's going to have periods when he's not playing as well. Right now, he's a bit better," said Deschamps, who won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA EURO 2000 alongside Thuram's father, Lilian.
"The main thing is to maintain the level. He's still learning. The demands are higher, even if he's the same player when he came the first time. There are steps to take."
