France arrived in Brussels with a smaller travelling group and fresh questions over their left side and midfield. Andy Diouf and Lucas Da Cunha, two of the five newcomers in Zinédine Zidane’s squad, are in contention to make their international debuts against Belgium on Monday night.
The move
Diouf could be used at left-back despite operating as a right wing-back for Inter Milan. Da Cunha is another possible option, with the midfielder able to play at the base of a three-man midfield.
That holding role is not overloaded with recognised specialists in the France set-up, giving Da Cunha a credible route into the side either from kick-off or during the game at the King Baudouin Stadium. Belgium host France at 20:45 in the second round of the Nations League.
Zidane is expected to alter his line-up after the 1-0 victory in Izmit, with limited recovery time between fixtures and a major home occasion approaching against Italy.
Mbappé injury leaves France with 22 players
Kylian Mbappé will not feature in Brussels after injuring his left knee while scoring the winning goal against Turkey. France’s captain returned directly to Madrid after the match, leaving 22 players on the flight to Belgium.
France’s medical staff internally linked the injury to the poor condition of the pitch in Izmit, believing unstable footing contributed to Mbappé’s problem. Zidane has chosen not to call up a replacement, even though three Nations League fixtures remain: Belgium away on Monday, Italy at home on 2 October and Belgium at home on 5 October.
The French season around it
The squad spent Friday night in Turkey before flying straight to Brussels on Saturday afternoon, two days before the Belgium match. Later that evening, the players trained behind closed doors at Union Saint-Gilloise’s training centre.
The session was mainly directed at those who had not started in Izmit, a group that could now include Diouf and Da Cunha in Zidane’s plans.
France then face Italy at the Stade de France on the following Friday, in Zidane’s first match as national-team coach at the stadium. The occasion is expected to carry considerable attention, adding another reason for rotation in Belgium.
