Absences throw the door wide open to surprises in Zidane's squad

Zinedine Zidane names his second France squad tomorrow, Friday, at 6pm Paris time, with clashes against Italy and Turkey in the UEFA Nations League on the horizon.

France travel to Milan to face Italy on 12 November, before hosting Turkey in Bordeaux on the 15th. Expect clear changes from the first gathering Zidane announced last September. A handful of influential absences and the return of some key figures will force his hand.

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Ousmane Dembele leads the list of expected absentees through injury, with midfielder Manu Kone and forward Esteban Lepaul, nursing an ankle injury, also set to miss out.

Doubts hang over full-back Jules Kounde, who has not fully recovered from a sprain in his left ankle, and defender Maxence Lacroix, who has a tear in his hamstring.

Several prominent names should come back into the fold. Aurelien Tchouameni returns after a long absence at Real Madrid, Warren Zaire-Emery is back from injury, and Ibrahima Konate rejoins the group. Captain Kylian Mbappe is also expected to reclaim his place, after missing most of the previous matches with an injury to his left knee.

Possible surprises

According to French newspaper "L'Equipe", the absences up front could open the door to a few surprises. Lens winger Florian Thauvin stands out as a leading candidate for a recall after a long time away, with 6 goals and 8 assists in 12 matches this season.

Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram remains in contention after missing the first gathering. Some young players may also get their chance, among them Tottenham's Mathys Tel and Bournemouth's Eli Junior Kroupi, with a call-up from the youth ranks possible too. Valentin Atangana is one such name.

Zidane handed debuts to 5 new players in his first squad: Guillaume Restes, Jeremy Jacquet, Andy Diouf, Lucas Da Cunha and Esteban Lepaul. He looks set to continue that policy of renewal, while leaning on the players who are sharpest both technically and physically.

France top their Nations League group on 10 points. Two wins in the coming clashes would confirm their place in the quarter-finals.