France coach Didier Deschamps has revealed that he did not contemplate giving Mamadou Sakho a late call-up for Euro 2016, even though it now seems that the Liverpool defender could be available to play.
Sakho, 26, was left out of the hosts' provisional squad for next month's tournament after he was forced to serve a 30-day ban for an anti-doping violation.
UEFA confirmed last weekend that the former Paris Saint-Germain centre-back would not be hit with a lengthier suspension and was now free to play again. However, a final ruling on the case is expected to be delivered this week.
On Saturday, shortly before news of Sakho's potential clearance broke, Deschamps named Lyon defender Samuel Umtiti as a replacement for the injured Jeremy Mathieu.
Speaking ahead of France's friendly against Cameroon on Monday, Deschamps was asked whether he had thought of recalling Sakho instead.
"Seriously, no," Deschamps told a news conference. "Then I would no longer have respect for the players.
"It wouldn't be worth coming to speak to you [the media] -- they would no longer have faith in me. It's inhumane to do that to players that I've picked.
"And then because at the time I took the decision, there was nothing that indicated that there would be that outcome [concerning Sakho], even if, concerning Mamadou, it needs to be confirmed next week."
Umtiti, 22, was called up from the standby list when Barcelona defender Mathieu, 32, was ruled out with a calf injury. The Lyon centre-back had earlier been overlooked when Deschamps chose Adil Rami to take the place of injured Real Madrid player Raphael Varane.