The defeat against Italy was not just a passing stumble in the French national team's calculations, but exposed numerous gaps that have returned doubts to Zinedine Zidane's calculations ahead of the decisive clash against Turkey. Between the return of Kylian Mbappé, the absence of Dayot Upamecano, and the decline in the performance of some key players, the French coach is preparing to rearrange his cards, with the possibility of making wide-ranging changes to the starting line-up in search of a strong reaction that restores prestige to "Les Bleus".
According to the French website "Foot Mercato", Zidane is weighing up significant changes to his line-up for Sunday evening's clash with Turkey in Bordeaux, the final round of the UEFA Nations League group stage. There's little room for error here, not after the 3-1 defeat to Italy at the San Siro.
France go into the match under heavy pressure, though a draw would be enough to seal a place in the Nations League quarter-finals. Zidane's men sit second in Group One. A loss to Turkey, however, could overturn the calculations entirely and leave their fate hanging on the result of Belgium against Italy.
Should they lose, France would need Belgium to draw with Italy to avoid dropping to third and crashing out. The result alone is not the coaching staff's chief worry, mind you. Zidane knows his side must produce something far better than the lacklustre display they served up against the Italians, above all in defensive discipline and the ability to handle pressure.
His first card is the return of captain Kylian Mbappé, left out of the starting line-up against Italy when the coaching staff chose to rest him. The Real Madrid star trained on Friday, making him a strong candidate to come straight back in against Turkey and hand France a major attacking boost.
Mbappé is expected to lead the line as an out-and-out striker, filling the gap left by Ousmane Dembélé after playing a different role in the first leg against the Turks. Michael Olise looms as a possible option alongside him on the right flank, while Bradley Barcola looks the likeliest to hold onto his place on the left.
Désiré Doué's chances of starting, by contrast, look slim. He has failed to recover sufficiently from the fracture to one of his teeth, sustained during the Italy match. The young player may yet be available depending on how he responds, but his struggles last time out make a start unlikely.
The midfield trio under scrutiny
In midfield, Zidane is mulling clear changes after the serious trouble his side ran into against Italy's pressing. France could not build play smoothly, Rayan Cherki failed to deliver the impact expected of him in the advanced midfield role the coach handed him, and Adrien Rabiot committed a string of errors that unsettled the team's balance.
Warren Zaïre-Emery is a candidate for a fresh chance in the middle. Zidane has made a habit of praising his tactical flexibility and knack for filling more than one position, and though he could be used at right-back, the France coach prefers him in midfield. The Turkey clash could be the moment to return the player to his favoured role and let his true qualities show.
Eduardo Camavinga's chances of a recall are rising too, off the back of impressive performances during the last international break. Zidane is banking on the Real Madrid man's dynamism to regain control in midfield, sharpen the team's ball-winning and quicken the switch from defence to attack.
Upamecano's absence opens up the competition
At the back, Zidane faces a fresh headache after the confirmed absence of Dayot Upamecano, who gave away a penalty in the second half against Italy before leaving the national team camp for family reasons. That rules him out of the upcoming match.
Ibrahima Konaté and Loïc Badé are vying to cover for the Bayern Munich defender. Konaté brings greater international experience, while Badé enters the race on the strength of a fine display against Belgium at the Stade de France in early October, which gives him a genuine shot at earning Zidane's trust.
At full-back, one of France's glaring weaknesses showed up against Italy, with Malo Gusto struggling badly on the right flank before Zidane pulled him off for Saïmon Khelifi.
Sunday could be the chance for the Wolfsburg player, a late addition to the camp, to earn a first start on the right. Andy Diouf, meanwhile, stands out as a candidate at left-back, having come on for Adrien Truffert in the 77th minute last time out.
Zidane knows the Turkey clash is about far more than a quarter-final ticket. It is a genuine test of his ability to fix the errors that surfaced against Italy and restore balance to a side packed with big names yet still short of the level expected of it. Between Mbappé's return and the possible reshuffles in midfield and defence, France have a chance to wipe away the San Siro collapse and prove the defeat was not the start of a crisis they cannot contain.