France host Belgium at Parc Olympique Lyonnais for their second 2024 UEFA Nations League fixture of the new season. Despite Les Bleusās defeat at home to Italy during the Group 2 opening matchday, itās been reported that Kylian Mbappe wonāt be in the starting lineup for todayās game.
According to a report from LoĆÆc Tanzi of LāEquipe, Real Madridās new forward will sit out Franceās second and final match of the international break. Mbappe has not suffered any injuries, and the decision to not put him in the lineup has more to do with Didier Deschampsā strategy.
After their 1-3 defeat against Italy, Deschamps said in a press conference that he wouldnāt change his tactical plans. āI believe that the six Nations League matches should be used to incorporate new players and distribute playing time,ā he explained on Sunday.
āIām not going to change course. I accept it, even if it could have consequences on the result. If we had a different schedule, with qualifiers for the World Cup, I wouldnāt have chosen this course, thatās for sure,ā he added.
Kylian Mbappe against Italy for Matchday 1 of 2024/25 UEFA Nations League ( Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Mbappe played the full 90 minutes against Italy but struggled to make a notable impact on the game. However, he isnāt expected to be the only player rested for the game against Belgium.
Changes expected in France against Belgium
According to the same report, Jonathan Clauss and Theo Hernandez should give way to Jules KoundƩ and Lucas Digne. Meanwhile, Manu KonƩ, Randal Kolo Muani and Michael Olise could all be part of the lineup against Belgium.
see also
Cristiano Ronaldo seems to back Mbappe, suggests Euros are on par with Messi"s World Cup
Domenico Tedescoās side are coming from defeating Israel 3-1 on Matchday 1 of the competition. The result put them tied with Italy at the top of the table of Group 2 of League A, and theyāre looking to extend their advantage.
Under UEFAās new format for 2024-25, the team finishing last in each League A group will be automatically relegated, while third-placed teams must compete in a relegation playoff.
Only the top two teams in Group 2 will advance to the new quarter-final stage, leaving France three points behind their main rivals and unable to afford any further setbacks.
