France coach Zinedine Zidane has announced his squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Italy and Turkey, with Kylian Mbappe headlining the list after recovering from a knee injury. The Real Madrid forward, who is the national team captain, missed the previous international window but has since returned to action for his club, scoring eight goals in seven matches across La Liga and the Champions League.
Mbappe's Impact and Return
Mbappe scored the winning goal in Zidane's first match in charge, a 2-1 victory away to Turkey on September 25, but suffered a knee injury that ruled him out of the remaining three fixtures. Without their star player, France won twice against Belgium and drew against Italy. His return is a significant boost for Les Bleus as they aim to secure their place in the Nations League quarter-finals.
New Faces and Recalls
Zidane has handed a debut call-up to Pablo Pagis, the 23-year-old attacking midfielder from Paris FC. Pagis has impressed this season, helping his club to fourth place in Ligue 1. He is the son of former Marseille player Mickael Pagis, who once played for the France beach soccer team under Eric Cantona. "He is in the squad because we have a little problem with Akliouche, and so we needed to choose another player," Zidane explained. "Pablo was part of the long list and he is a player I want to see. He is interesting, different and it is good to be able to see what he is like."
Marcus Thuram of Inter Milan is recalled to the attack, while Aurelien Tchouameni returns in midfield after missing the last window. In defence, Manchester United's Leny Yoro and Chelsea's Malo Gusto come in for Jules Kounde and Maxence Lacroix. Arsenal defender William Saliba is not included as he continues to recover from a back injury.
Upcoming Matches and Group Standings
France will face Italy in Milan on Thursday, November 12, before taking on Turkey in Bordeaux three days later. Zidane's side currently top Nations League Group A1 with 10 points from four matches, three points ahead of Italy. The top two teams in the group will advance to the quarter-finals next March.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Guillaume Restes (Toulouse)
Defenders: Andy Diouf (Inter Milan), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool), Ibrahima Konate (Real Madrid), Pierre Kalulu (Juventus), Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Leny Yoro (Manchester United)
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Lucas Da Cunha (Como), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Bradley Barcola (Liverpool), Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Pablo Pagis (Paris FC), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
