France without Mbappe as they chase group win over Italy
France will clinch their UEFA Nations League group if they beat Italy at Milan’s San Siro on Thursday, but they will be without captain Kylian Mbappe.
France lead League A Group 1 on 10 points, with Italy on seven. Victory would send France through as group winners to the Nations League quarterfinals in March.
The top two sides in each group advance to the quarterfinals. A relegation playoff is possible for the third-placed team, while the fourth-placed team could be relegated.
On the eve of the match, coach Zinedine Zidane said Mbappe would be absent because of a small issue, NBC Sports reported. Mbappe had appeared to regain full fitness following an injury during the previous international break.
France will also be without Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, who is working through injury concerns during the current international break. Zidane can call on Bradley Barcola, Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki in attack.
In the early stages of Zidane’s tenure, France have taken 10 of a possible 12 points from four Nations League games. NBC Sports put France third in its world rankings and described midfielder Da Cunha as a rising star. The outlet expects defenders Truffert, Jacquet and Yoro to continue receiving opportunities.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini has no major injury concerns. His team plays a 4-3-3, with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Sandro Tonali and Pio Esposito key through its spine.
Italy have scored more this season. They have eight Nations League goals to France’s seven, according to data from BBC Sport.
The teams drew 1-1 in their first encounter of the campaign, played at the Stade de France in Paris on Oct. 2.
They each won once when they met in the Nations League in 2024. Italy defeated France 3-1 on Sept. 6, 2024, before France won by the same score on Nov. 17, 2024.
Thursday’s fixture is the teams’ penultimate group-stage game, Al Jazeera said. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:45 GMT, or 8:45 p.m. in Milan.
For viewers in the United States, kickoff comes at 2:45 p.m. ET. Fox Sports 1 carries the match, with streaming available on Fox One, fuboTV and ViX.
