Zidane rotates heavily: Doué gets central role against the Red Devils
Zinédine Zidane announced on Sunday that after the 0‑1 victory over Turkey he will make a major rotation for the Nations League match against the Red Devils. Due to an injury to his left knee, Kylian Mbappé must leave the squad, meaning France will have to start on Monday evening with a heavily adjusted eleven.
The French captain scored Friday's only goal against Turkey, but suffered an injury to his left knee in the process. He left the national team on Saturday and returned to his club in Madrid. Zidane therefore has to reshuffle the attack out of necessity.
Attacking variation tested
According to L’Équipe, a striking formation was trialled during the final training ahead of the clash with Belgium. Désiré Doué was given the role of deep striker, with Michael Olise on the right and Bradley Barcola on the left. This setup could result in Ousmane Dembélé leaving the starting eleven.
Previously Dembélé, now with Mbappé absent, seemed the logical choice for the central attack. The captain's armband also came up, but Zidane stressed that he is taking his players' physical workload into account.
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Midfield and defensive combinations
In the tactical training, Eduardo Camavinga formed a trio with Adrien Rabiot and Rayan Cherki, while various combinations at the back were tested. Zidane indicated that even a very extensive rotation is possible, with few players reappearing at kickoff. This flexibility complicates preparation for Mark Van Bommel.
Mark Van Bommel, Belgian national team coach, responded disappointedly: “I would have liked to have him there.” He emphasised that the uncertainty surrounding the French starting eleven hampers the Belgian plan.
The Red Devils came Friday with a 0‑2 win over Italy and now host France at the King Baudouin Stadium. France began its Nations League campaign with three points thanks to the 0‑1 victory over Turkey.
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Zidane will reveal on Monday which players he will field; all indications point to Doué as the central striker and to a possible absence of Dembélé from the starting eleven. The final lineup will only become clear during the match.