Serie A players Diouf and Da Cunha could get France debuts

Serie A players Diouf and Da Cunha could get France debuts Inter player Andy Diouf and Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha could get their senior France debuts from the start against Belgium in the same Nations League group as Italy. Les Bleus made their first appearance under new coach Zinedine Zidane in last night’s 1-0 victory away to Turkiye, with a goal from Kylian Mbappé. Their next match is on Monday evening in Brussels against Belgium, who are fresh from a 2-0 win over Italy. Diouf and Da Cunha hope for France opportunity PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 08: Andy Diouf of FC Internazionale scores a goal during the match between Juventus and FC Internazionale at Optus Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images) According to L’Equipe , there will be a lot of squad rotation for this fixture, including debuts for two Serie A players. Versatile Inter figure Diouf is viewed as a potential left-back for France, despite largely playing on the right side of a five-man midfield at San Siro for his club. COMO, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 10: Lucas Da Cunha of Como 1907 reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Como 1907 and RB Leipzig at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on September 10, 2026 in Como, Italy. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images) As for Da Cunha, the midfielder first joined Como when they were in Serie B and has seen them progress all the way to the Champions League. His ability to play in a three-man midfield is seemingly a rarity in the current France squad, so Zidane wants to test him out in the starting XI with Belgium. KOCAELI, TURKEY – SEPTEMBER 25: Zinedine Zidane, Head Coach of France reacts during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Türkiye and France at Kocaeli Stadium on September 25, 2026 in Kocaeli, Turkey. (Photo by Burak Kara/Getty Images) Kylian Mbappé has already left the squad after sustaining a knee injury, so the Real Madrid striker will miss the Nations League clash with Italy on October 2.