Credits: FFF
Zidane will announce his squad selection on Friday for the upcoming games against Italy and Turkey.
Following an underwhelming start to his tenure winning only 1-0 against turkey and Belgium followed by a 1-1 draw against Italy, the new French manager experimented with different line-ups for each game to find the winning formula after Mbappé picked up a knee injury and had to leave the group early.
However, France have shown they can thrive without their talisman, producing an emphatic 4-1 victory over Belgium. A spirited display, coupled with some inspired second-half substitutions as, suggested Zidane's side are beginning to find their feet.
“We can clearly get two things from France's last three games with Zidane: there's a real break from Deschamps' style. Way more creativity, more intense pressing and some combinations we hadn't seen before.
Also, no more key players will be assured of being called up. Such as Tchouaméni, who wasn't called up by Zidane last time,” says Enzo RICCI, DAZN sports commentator.
The new French manager will once again have to contend with several injury concerns, with forwards Dembélé and Olise, having left the pitch injured after being forced off on Saturday, while Estéban Lepaul is also sidelined with an ankle injury.
Could these injuries open the door to a surprise inclusion?
“I think we could see multiple changes with the current players' injuries. First, we could see Thauvin coming back, who's having an XXL season with Lens. Thuram too, who missed out on the last squad. Why not Kroupi (a profile that Zidane could like), even if it's hard to imagine with his recent injury,” says Enzo RICCI
It is unlikely that Zidane will make wholesale changes to his tactical approach. However, with Ousmane Dembélé unavailable, Zidane could be tempted to experiment with a 4-3-2-1 formation for the first time to put his forwards in their best positions.
Predictable France starting XI for Nations League match against Italy
With only 2 goals conceded in 4 matches and 176 balls recovered, Zidane built a strong defensive base.
Things could soon look very different as France is facing a number of defensive absentee with William Saliba and Maxence Lacroix injured until at least the end of the year.
Ibrahima Konaté, meanwhile, is expected to return after picking up an injury last month. Dayot Upamecano and Jérémy Jacquet are also tipped to feature in the squad.
With options limited on the left-hand side, a selection battle could emerge between Lenny Yoro and Adrien Truffert who impressed last month, as well as Lucas Hernandez, a key figure who has endured several injury-hit seasons in recent years.
These calls could be crucial for some players who haven't been called up yet, as well as those who struggled to establish themselves under Didier Deschamps.
“I think technical/modern players are the ones who will benefit the most from Zidane's arrival, especially on the defensive side, when they're able to play multiple positions like Da Cunha, Camavinga, Kalulu…”
“For the next two games, I think we can expect some consistency, an aggressive approach when losing the ball, creativity and some combinations. I don't see him going back to the defensive game like Deschamps used to do,” says Enzo RICCI
With a three-point advantage over Italy, France will need to win their upcoming game against Italy on Thursday 12 November to make sure they qualify for the play-offs in March 2027.
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