NEWCASTLE defender Jean-Alain Boumsong has tipped France to be one of the surprise packages at this summer's World Cup after being named in Raymond Domenech's 23-man squad despite a tortuous first full season on Tyneside.

Boumsong, who made an £8m move from Rangers last January, failed to start any of the Magpies' final seven league games after suffering a dramatic loss of form.

The 26-year-old was axed shortly after suffering a comical sending off in March's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool, with Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder preferring to play Australian centre-half Craig Moore alongside a rejuvenated Titus Bramble.

At one stage, Boumsong's enforced absence had looked like costing him his World Cup place, but Domenech stood by the 11-time international and duly confirmed his place on the plane to Germany yesterday.

Boumsong is part of a French squad that has been severely weakened since Roger Lemerre guided Les Blues to victory in Euro 2000.

The likes of Bixente Lizarazu, Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka have all departed, leading to gloomy predictions ahead of a World Cup campaign that will see France battling it out with South Korea, Togo and Switzerland in Group G.

But, with the experienced Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Claude Makelele still involved in the national set-up, Boumsong insists there are plenty of reasons for French optimism ahead of this summer's tournament.

"I'm delighted to be in the squad," said the Magpies centre-half. "it always makes you very proud to represent your country, especially in a competition like the World Cup.

"We are not one of the favourites this time, but I believe we have a good chance to win it.

"People are talking about teams like Brazil and England and some others, but our senior players - our leaders like Zidane, Makelele and Thuram - are big players for us and if they are all fit, we will have a chance.

"We are a strong side, and the fact we are not one of the favourites could help us. We are going in to the tournament in a good position, and we are looking forward to it."

Uncapped Wigan full-back Pascal Chimbonda was a surprise inclusion in Domenech's final squad, and the shocks continued as the French coach revealed former Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez would begin the tournament as his number one.

Barthez, who served a six-month ban in 2005 for spitting at a referee, had been expected to play second fiddle to Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet.

Yesterday was FIFA's cut-off point for formal confirmation of the 32 World Cup squads and a number of Premiership players were involved in some difficult decisions.

In England's group, Arsenal midfielder Fredrik Ljungberg and Aston Villa defender Olof Mellberg were confirmed in the Sweden squad along with the likes of former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson and ex-Leeds defender Teddy Lucic.

Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes was a surprise casualty, however, as he was left out of Luis Aragones' Spain squad.

The 30-year-old, who has been a regular in the national team since 1998, missed out as Aragones chose to take Valencia's Carlos Marchena as an extra defender instead.

There are still six Premiership players in the Spain squad, though, with Liverpool team-mates Jose Reina, Xabi Alonso and Luis Garcia joining Jose Antonio Reyes, Cesc Fabregas and Asier Del Horno.

Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann sprang a Theo Walcott-style surprise when he named uncapped Borussia Dortmund striker David Odonkor in his squad.

Chelsea's new signing Michael Ballack will captain the hosts, with Arsenal's Jens Lehmann preferred to Bayern Munich's Oliver Kahn between the sticks.

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