Noa Nakaitaci is in line to make his France Test debut after being named in Philippe Saint-André’s 31-man squad ahead of the Six Nation.
The Clermont wing, who scored a sensational solo try against Munster in the Champions Cup last month, toured New Zealand last summer but was only involved in the game against the Blues.
Thierry Dusautoir will captain the side once more as France welcome back Toulouse No.8 Louis Picamoles who has recovered from a lung infection that saw him miss the start of the season.
Props Eddy Ben Arous and Rabah Slimani also make their return but there is no room for Racing Metro captain Dimitri Szarzewski with Benjamin Kayser (Clermont) and Guilhem Guirado (Toulon) preferred.
The scrum-halves will be Castres’ Rory Kockott and Toulon’s Sébastien Tillous-Borde so Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra or his Racing-Métro counterpart Maxime Machenaud miss out.
Montpellier captain Fulgence Ouedraogo also misses out in the back row while Maxime Mermoz and Maxime Médard drop out of the squad.
The squad will meet up near Perpignan for a training camp between January 25 and February 1 before kicking off their Six Nations campaign at home to Scotland before a trip to defending champions Ireland in their second game.
France:
Forwards: Eddy Ben Arous (Racing-Métro), Alexandre Menini (Toulon), Benjamin Kayser (Clermont), Guilhem Guirado (Toulon), Nicolas Mas (Montpellier), Uini Atonio (La Rochelle), Rabah Slimani (Stade Français), Alexandre Flanquart (Stade Français), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Pascal Papé (Stade Français), Romain Taofifenua (Toulon), Damien Chouly (Clermont), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Bernard Le Roux (Racing-Métro), Yannick Nyanga (Toulouse), Charles Ollivon (Bayonne), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse).
Backs: Rory Kockott (Castres), Sébastien Tillous-Borde (Toulon), Rémi Tales (Castres), Camille Lopez (Clermont), Mathieu Bastareaud (Toulon), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Rémi Lamerat (Castres), Alexandre Dumoulin (Racing-Métro), Teddy Thomas (Racing-Métro), Sofiane Guitoune (Bordeaux-Bègles), Yoann Huget (Toulouse), Noa Nakaitaci (Clermont), Brice Dulin (Racing-Métro), Scott Spedding (Bayonne).