France host Belgium at Parc Olympique Lyonnais for their second 2024 UEFA Nations League fixture of the new season. Despite Les Bleusâs defeat at home to Italy during the Group 2 opening matchday, itâs been reported that Kylian Mbappe wonât be in the starting lineup for todayâs game.
According to a report from LoĂŻc Tanzi of LâEquipe, Real Madridâs new forward will sit out Franceâs 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 Deschampsâ strategy.
After their 1-3 defeat against Italy, Deschamps said in a press conference that he wouldnât change his tactical plans. âI believe that the six Nations League matches should be used to incorporate new players and distribute playing time,â he explained on Sunday.
âIâm 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 wouldnât have chosen this course, thatâs for sure,â 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 isnât 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 Koundé and Lucas Digne. Meanwhile, Manu Koné, Randal Kolo Muani and Michael Olise could all be part of the lineup against Belgium.
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Domenico Tedescoâs 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 theyâre looking to extend their advantage.
Under UEFAâs 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.
