indah-permata
France will be without captain Kylian Mbappe when they travel to Brussels to face Belgium in their second UEFA Nations League Group A1 fixture on Monday, with the Real Madrid forward sidelined by a knee injury picked up during the opening round of matches.
Mbappe, who scored the only goal in France's 1-0 victory over Turkiye last week, is expected to be out of action for approximately two weeks after his early second-half strike was overshadowed by the injury. The 27-year-old remains his country's leading scorer, and his absence represents a significant blow for a French side still adjusting to life under new head coach Zinedine Zidane.
Despite the setback, France boast considerable depth in attacking areas. Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue are all expected to shoulder the goal-scoring burden in Mbappe's absence. Olise in particular arrives in excellent form, having been named man of the match against Turkiye and having registered eight goals and four assists in seven appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich this season.
Rayan Cherki, meanwhile, has also impressed at club level with Manchester City, contributing four goals and two assists. The attacking midfielder is likely to feature prominently as Zidane looks to rotate his squad during a congested international window that includes four matches in a short period.
Monday's match at the King Baudouin Stadium will be notable for the presence of two newly appointed head coaches. Zidane, a former France midfielder and 1998 World Cup winner, returned to the international setup after being named head coach in July 2026, succeeding the previous regime following that summer's World Cup. Belgium, meanwhile, have turned to former Netherlands international Mark van Bommel, who has taken charge of the Red Devils.
Van Bommel spoke warmly of his counterpart ahead of the fixture, describing the opportunity to coach against Zidane as special. He noted that Zidane was an exceptional footballer and recalled playing against him once during his own playing career, when Barcelona faced Real Madrid. Van Bommel added that having a dribbling move named after you is a mark of significant achievement, and acknowledged that Zidane has also proven himself a capable coach.
Belgium enter the match on the back of an impressive 2-0 victory over Italy in Rome, a result that deepened the Azzurri's ongoing crisis as they continue their latest rebuild following World Cup disappointment. The win extended Belgium's strong recent form, with four victories in their last five matches. France's record over the same period reads less convincingly, with three wins and two defeats.
The two neighbours have a long and competitive history. They have met 78 times in total, with Belgium holding a narrow advantage of 30 wins to France's 29, while 19 matches have ended in draws. Their most recent encounter came in a Nations League group fixture in October 2024, when a double from Randal Kolo Muani secured a 2-1 victory for France.
Belgium will lean heavily on the experience and creativity of Kevin De Bruyne, who delivered an assist and a man-of-the-match performance against Italy. The veteran midfielder remains central to his country's ambitions and is expected to dictate play from midfield. He is likely to be joined in the attacking third by Diego Moreira, whose club form for AC Milan has been striking, with three goals in as many league games this season.
Belgium do have injury concerns of their own. Winger Leandro Trossard is nursing a heel problem, while goalkeeper Mike Penders is dealing with a muscle issue. These absences could force Van Bommel into adjustments, though the core of his likely starting XI remains intact. Senne Lammens is expected to start in goal, protected by a back line that could include Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele and Maxim De Cuyper.
France's absentee list extends beyond Mbappe. Central midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery is unavailable due to a thigh injury, while defensive midfielder Matteo Guendouzi is suspended. These absences will test Zidane's squad depth in midfield, an area where he may need to field a slightly reshuffled unit. Mike Maignan is expected to start in goal, with a defensive line likely comprising Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix and Andy Diouf.
Zidane has already signalled his intention to make changes, telling reporters that rotation is necessary given the demands of playing four matches in such a short timeframe. He emphasised that the most important objective at this early stage is for the squad to get to know each other and build understanding, suggesting he views the Nations League as a valuable opportunity for integration rather than purely a results-driven exercise.
The UEFA Nations League was established in 2018 with the aim of reducing the number of low-stakes friendlies and instead offering nations competitive matches against similarly ranked opponents. The tournament operates on a league structure featuring promotion and relegation, which gives every fixture meaningful consequences. For both Belgium and France, opening-round victories have laid a solid foundation, and Monday's meeting could prove decisive in shaping the battle for top spot in the group.
Al Jazeera Sport will provide full build-up and live updates from 15:45 GMT, with kick-off scheduled for 18:45 GMT at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
Comments (0)