France coach Philippe Saint-Andre will, as expected, leave captain Thierry Dusautoir at home after ringing the changes for ‘Les Bleus’ mid-year tour of Argentina next month.

In one of the surprise selections Frederic Michalak has been offered the chance for a 55th cap for France.

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The 29-year-old utility back, who plays scrumhalf and flyhalf for Sharks in South Africa, won his last cap during the 2010 Six Nations.

A total of nine players were called up to the France squad for the first time and could make their full debut during the June 16 to 23 tour, during which France will play the Pumas twice.

Among the nine are locks Antoine Guillamon (Lyon) and Yvan Watremez (Biarritz), hooker Christopher Tolofua (Toulouse), second row forward Christophe Samson (Toulon), flanker Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), scrum-half Maxime Machenaud (Agen), centres Geoffrey Doumayrou (Montpellier) and Romain Martial (Castres) and winger Brice Dulin (Agen).

Dusautoir, who will not take part in the tournament, will be replaced by Stade Francais second row forward Pascal Pape although that decision was widely expected after hints from Saint-Andre.

Pape, 31, who has 40 caps, captained France during their tour to New Zealand in 2007.

France, who finished fourth in the last Six Nations, suffered a narrow defeat to New Zealand in the Final of the World Cup last year. Some of that squad will not travel to Argentina, as Saint-Andre goes about building the backbone of the squad he will take to England for the 2015 World Cup.

Lock Nicolas Mas, second row forward Julien Pierre and winger Vincent Clerc have been left behind while others, such as hooker William Servat, second row Lionel Nallet and flanker Julien Bonnaire have all retired from international rugby.

France are scheduled to play Argentina in Cordoba on June 16 and June 23 in Tucuman.

A warm-up match for the tournament is planned for June 6 in Biarritz, four days before they depart for Argentina, and will double as a testimony for former international Serge Betsen.

France:

Forwards: David Attoub (Stade Francais), Vincent Debaty (Clermont), Antoine Guillamon (Lyon), Yvan Watremez (Biarritz), Christopher Tolofua (Toulouse), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Francais), Yoann Maestri (Toulouse), Christophe Samson (Toulon), Pascal Pape (Stade Francais, capt), Romain Taofifenua (Perpignan), Alexandre Lapandry (Clermont), Wenceslas Lauret (Biarritz), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Toulouse), Raphael Lakafia (Biarritz).

Backs: Maxime Machenaud (Agen), Morgan Parra (Clermont), Frederic Michalak (Sharks/RSA), Francois Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Geoffrey Doumayrou (Montpellier), Florian Fritz (Toulouse), Wesley Fofana (Clermont), Maxime Mermoz (Perpignan), Benjamin Fall (Racing-Metro), Romain Martial (Castres), Yoann Huget (Bayonne), Jean-Marcellin Buttin (Clermont), Brice Dulin (Agen).