France hosts Italy at the Stade de France on Matchday 3 of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League, but Les Bleus will be without captain Kylian Mbappe for the clash.
Mbappe is sidelined after sustaining a knee injury against Türkiye on Matchday 1, picked up in the very moment he scored the game-winning goal. He left the France camp shortly after to begin his recovery, and his timeline has kept him out since, further thinning out Zinedine Zidane’s options for the match.
The game carries extra significance for Zidane, as it marks his first game in charge of France at the Stade de France since taking over as head coach. With Mbappe out, he’s expected to lean on Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki to carry the attacking load, with Ousmane Dembele wearing the captain’s armband in Mbappe’s absence.
Up front, Esteban Lepaul is expected to get the nod once again in Mbappe’s absence, just as he did in the win over Belgium. The Rennes forward, who finished as Ligue 1’s top scorer last season with 21 goals, made his France debut against Türkiye before starting against Belgium, and Zidane looks set to turn to him again to lead the line against Italy.
France enters the match atop Group A1 and could all but clinch a spot in the knockout stage with a win, while Italy arrives in good form after a 4-1 statement win over Türkiye in its last outing.
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Mbappe isn’t the only one sidelined
Zidane’s injury concerns don’t end with his captain. Defender Ibrahima Konate is also unavailable for the match against Italy, leaving France to navigate Matchday 3 with a notably shorthanded backline.
Konate’s withdrawal came before the window even began, after he suffered a minor sprain to his right knee in training, ruling him out of all three of France’s matches this international break, against Türkiye, Belgium and now Italy. He returned immediately to Real Madrid for treatment, with Manchester United’s Leny Yoro earning a call-up in his place and his first senior France cap as a result.
