France visits Italy at the San Siro in Milan on Thursday night for a UEFA Nations League Group 1 match, with Les Bleus aiming to secure a quarter-final berth despite a wave of injuries and the absence of captain Kylian Mbappé.
San Siro Showdown Beckons
The fifth matchday of UEFA Nations League A Group 1 brings France to Milan’s San Siro stadium on Thursday night. Kickoff is set for 20:45 local peninsular time (19:45 in the Canary Islands), with live broadcasting available in Spain via DAZN, according to DAZN coverage.
France enters the fixture topping the group standings with 10 points from four matches, maintaining an undefeated record of three wins and one draw. Italy sits second in the group with 7 points, followed by Belgium with 6 and Turkey at the bottom without a point, goal.com reported.
A single point against Italy guarantees France advancement to the quarterfinals. A victory in Milan would also lock up the group leadership, though Les Bleus can still advance with a defeat if Belgium fails to beat Turkey.
Projected Lineup Without Mbappé
RMC Sport revealed the projected starting lineup for the visitors, which features a youthful attacking reshuffle. Mike Maignan anchors the team in goal behind a defensive line consisting of Adrien Truffert, either Jérémy Jacquet or Ibrahima Konaté, Dayot Upamecano, and Malo Gusto.
Adrien Rabiot, Lucas Da Cunha, and Rayan Cherki form the midfield trio. In attack, Bradley Barcola and Michael Olise operate on the flanks, while Désiré Doué is slated to start as the center forward, with Cherki tasked with creative distribution from deep.
The reverse fixture between these sides ended in a 1-1 draw at the Stade de France, where Olise opened the scoring for the hosts before Alessandro Bastoni equalized for Italy. Italy’s last victory over France came on September 6, 2024, recording a 3-1 win at the Parc des Princes in Paris.
Injury Crisis Hits Les Bleus
Captain Kylian Mbappé misses the fixture due to mild muscular discomfort.
“El capitán de la selección francesa se perderá el duelo ante Italia después de sentir unas leves molestias musculares, subrayando que el cuerpo técnico no quiere arriesgarse a que la lesión se grave, y expresando su deseo de recuperarlo para el partido ante Turquía el domingo,” Zidane said in comments reported by goal.com.
Mbappé’s absence extends a frustrating international sequence following a left knee injury sustained against Turkey on September 25. The captain also missed France’s three previous fixtures during that recovery period.
The selection problems extend well beyond the captain. Zidane must also plan without Aurélien Tchouaméni, Marcus Thuram, and Pierre Kalulu due to injuries, alongside ongoing absences from Ousmane Dembélé, William Saliba, and Jules Koundé.
Emergency Call-Ups Fill Ranks
To offset the mounting casualties, the coaching staff called up Paris Saint-Germain’s Senny Mayulu to the senior squad. Mayulu was initially slated to join the under-21 team before receiving the emergency promotion to cover Tchouaméni.
Additional reinforcements arrived with Elye Junior Crupi drafted in to replace Thuram, and Saël Kumbedi summoned in place of the injured Kalulu. These additions reflect challenges in squad depth as France competes in a high-stakes European campaign.
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