Chabal has helped Sale make an excellent start to the season

Sale forward Sebastien Chabal is one of three England-based players to be named in France's 26-man squad for their forthcoming autumn internationals.

Chabal, who played as a lock on France's summer tour to Australia, is joined by Sale team-mate Lionel Faure and Leicester hooker Benjamin Kayser.

Toulouse full-back Maxime Medard is the only uncapped player to earn a call-up.

France open their autumn campaign against Argentina before going on to play the Pacific Islands and Australia.

France coach Marc Lievremont also includes Stade Francais fly-half Lionel Beauxis and Clermont Auvergne centre Benoit Baby for the first time since taking over from Bernard Laporte.

"We wanted to work with a more closely-defined squad than in the past," said Lievremont, who chopped and changed his team in last season's Six Nations.

"We want to work on the basics, whether it be in defence or in the attacking game, and to select certain senior players in key positions.

"Obviously the target is to win all three matches."

France squad for the autumn internationals:

Forwards: Lionel Faure (Sale/ENG), Fabien Barcella (Biarritz), Dimitri Szarzewski (Stade Fran�ais), Benjamin Kayser (Leicester/ENG), Nicolas Mas (Perpignan), Benoit Lecouls (Toulouse), Lionel Nallet (Castres, capt), Sebastien Chabal (Sale/ENG), Romain Millo-Chluski (Toulouse), Thierry Dusautoir (Toulouse), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Louis Picamoles (Montpellier), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz)

Backs: Morgan Parra (Bourgoin), Jean-Baptiste Elissalde (Toulouse), Vincent Trinh-Duc (Montpellier), Lionel Beauxis (Stade Fran�ais), Yannick Jauzion (Toulouse), Benoit Baby (Clermont), Alexis Palisson (Brive), Cedric Heymans (Toulouse), Maxime Medard (Toulouse), Julien Malzieu (Clermont)

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