France and Italy have both selected attacking starting line-ups for their Nations League meeting at the Stade de France, with the Azzurri pairing Pio Esposito and Sebastiano Esposito with Moise Kean in forward positions.
The match in Paris starts at 19.45 UK time (20.45 CEST), with France midfielder Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Da Cunha among the Serie A-based players named in the home side’s XI.
Italy’s selection reflects the contrasting results they have produced under returning coach Roberto Mancini. They lost 2-0 at home to Belgium before recovering with a 4-1 victory in Turkiye, making this side a combination of the teams used in those two matches.
Riccardo Calafiori, Nicolo Barella and Kean come back into the starting line-up. Kean had not been fully fit, but the Como striker has recovered in time to play alongside the two Esposito brothers.
Davide Frattesi, who scored in the win against Turkiye, keeps his place in an otherwise unchanged midfield alongside Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Fagioli.
Calafiori replaces Matteo Ruggeri at left-back, while Michael Kayode remains on the right after impressing in the previous match. At the back, Italy line up with Gianluigi Donnarumma, Giorgio Scalvini and Alessandro Bastoni.
Giacomo Raspadori and Nicolo Zaniolo have left the camp because of injuries, while Honest Ahanor has been moved to the Under-21 side. The players left behind in Florence are Samuele Inacio, Alessandro Romano, Honest Ahanor, Nicolo Cambiaghi, Diego Coppola, Daniele Ghilardi, Eddy Kouadio, Rolando Mandragora and Massimo Pessina.
France have won both of their matches under Zinedine Zidane, recording 1-0 victories away to Turkiye and Belgium. It is Zidane’s first match on home soil since returning to the country where he won the World Cup as a player.
Kylian Mbappe was injured in Turkiye and sent home, while France rotated their team in Brussels before substitute Michael Olise scored a late winning goal. Mbappe’s absence continues here, but Ousmane Dembele starts alongside Olise and Desire Doue in attack.
Da Cunha retains his place after making an impressive senior debut for France. The Como midfielder starts ahead of Roma’s Manu Kone, while Rabiot is also selected.
Mike Maignan provides another Serie A connection in goal for France, with Juventus full-back Pierre Kalulu surprisingly included in the defence.
The previous four meetings between the sides have all finished 3-1, although Italy won only one of those matches.
France: Maignan; Kalulu, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert; Cherki, Da Cunha, Rabiot; Olise, Dembele, Doue.
Italy: Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Frattesi, Tonali, Fagioli; Kean, P Esposito, S Esposito.
Referee: Gil Manzano (ESP).
