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Ousmane Dembélé captains France against Italy with Mbappé absent

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 2, 2026, 7:25 AM

Last updated Oct 2, 2026

Ousmane Dembélé captains France against Italy with Mbappé absent

Summary

France's national team faces Italy tonight, with Ousmane Dembélé assuming the captaincy in Kylian Mbappé's absence. This match marks Zinédine Zidane's first home game as manager. Additionally, Jérémy Jacquet is expected to start in defense due to Ibrahima Konaté's injury. France aims to maintain their perfect record in the UEFA Nations League after a recent victory against Belgium. The starting lineup will potentially feature a strong attacking presence, including Dembélé as the No.9 and Rayan Cherki in the midfield.

Source Links

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Status Watch

•Zinédine Zidane's first home match as France manager.
•Kylian Mbappé is unavailable for the match.
•Jérémy Jacquet will start in defense.
•France aims for their third straight win in the UEFA Nations League.
•Dembélé takes on captaincy responsibilities.

Latest Updates

7:25 AMYahoo Sports — France predicted XI v Italy: Jérémy Jacquet to start, Ousmane Dembélé to captain in Kylian Mbappé’s absence

What they're saying

"
In the absence of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé will captain the France national team tonight in what will be Zinédine Zidane’s first game on home soil as manager of Les Bleus.Against Italy, Zi...
— Yahoo Sports

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