The Inter Milan midfielder is struggling for form at the moment and has not been included for his country's crunch double-header in Group Seven.

But free-scoring Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac is called up for the first time while Lille centre-back Adil Rami and Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby also return.

France are third in the pool, five points behind joint-leaders Lithuania, who have played a game more.

The first match between the two countries comes a week on Saturday in Kaunas, with the return game taking place at the Stade de France the following Wednesday.

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Vieira, who has had to overcome a host of injuries since the 2006 World Cup, has not been at his best over the past month and was dropped by Inter coach Jose Mourinho for last weekend's Serie A match against Fiorentina.

"We have discussed things with him on the telephone," France coach Raymond Domenech said.

"He knows he is not in his best form. And playing match after match is difficult for someone who hasn't played for a long time."

Gignac is Ligue 1's top scorer this campaign with 17 goals and is a different player to last season, when he struggled for form in a Toulouse side that only just avoided relegation.

He is one of five strikers named by Domenech and gets the nod over Guillaume Hoarau, who is also pushing for a call-up thanks to his strong first season with Paris St Germain.

"He (Gignac) is the best scorer in the league, he works hard and covers more ground," Domenech said.

"It's also a tactical choice. Lithuania are a team who play football, who use space well. It corresponds more to Gignac than Hoarau."

Rami benefits from injuries to Eric Abidal (adductors), Jean-Alain Boumsong (thigh) and Julien Escude (hip), although he is unlikely to feature in either game.

Diaby, who is in and out of the Arsenal team, made his debut almost two years ago but has only played once since then.

Winger Franck Ribery has recovered from a tibia injury to figure while Toulouse's Cedric Carrasso remains Domenech's third-choice goalkeeper behind Steve Mandanda and Hugo Lloris.

Francois Clerc is back for Lyon after more than seven months out with a knee injury but is not recalled by Domenech, who prefers Bacary Sagna and Rod Fanni as his right-backs.

Lithuania have won three of their opening four games, their only defeat coming 3-0 against Serbia.

France have claimed just four points from their first three games and cannot afford to slip up in either of the matches against the Lithuanians.