The French players and coaching staff were keen not to treat the defeat as a crisis. Yet the atmosphere in the corridors of the San Siro told a different story, laying bare the frustration at the first loss of the Zidane era.
According to the French network RMC, some players wore their frustration openly after the match. Several left the dressing room with their heads down, and Malo Gusto looked deeply affected by his own performance.
Rayan Cherki cut an angry figure too, scowling as he walked off. It was a continuation of the tensions that had surfaced during the game, among them a misunderstanding with team-mate Bradley Barcola at the end of the first half, just as Italy began to regain the initiative after equalising.
The France delegation left Milan carrying plenty of question marks. Attention quickly shifted to Turkey on Sunday in Bordeaux, where a draw will be enough to secure qualification to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League.
Upamecano's absence and a worrying injury for Doué
Zidane will be without Dayot Upamecano for the next match, after granting him permission to return to Munich "for personal reasons".
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The Bayern Munich defender was not at his best against Italy, but his sudden departure hands Zidane yet another absence to manage, with a long list already piling up.
Zidane had called those many absences something "terrible for the coach" before the match, pointing to the scale of the difficulties he faced ahead of the Italy clash.
Désiré Doué is another worry. The Paris Saint-Germain forward took a heavy elbow from Davide Frattesi during the game, which left him bleeding from the mouth and loosened one of his teeth.
Doué showed his anger, not least because Frattesi escaped without a card. France's medical staff treated the injury after the final whistle.
The medical team confirmed the player's condition is good and that the tooth had been "stabilised". Doué will see a dentist at midday on Friday.
Zidane protects his players in front of the media
France hope to bring Kylian Mbappé back into the attack against Turkey.
The captain had dropped out of the matchday squad with pain in his thigh, though he remained on the bench against Italy. Zidane expressed his optimism that the Real Madrid forward could feature next time out.
During his press conference, Zidane avoided any public criticism of his players, choosing instead to protect the group and highlight the positives despite the loss.
He went out of his way to defend Malo Gusto, declined to criticise the full-backs, and praised the positive aspects of Michael Olise's display.
Had the team lacked a leader on the pitch? Zidane said no, and he also rejected the suggestion that his players had failed to show strength and character.
His players took the same line. Adrien Rabiot and Lucas Da Cunha stressed the need to treat the defeat as part of a learning process and to turn quickly to the next match.
Rabiot: lack of experience explains some of what happened
France's players believe the circumstances of the match cannot be separated from the scale of the absences, nor from Zidane's reliance on so many young players with little international experience.
Rabiot said afterwards that Zidane had involved many young players with less experience, adding that the nature of football means this can explain some of what happened against Italy.
Inside the France camp, the aim now is not to overreact. Rather than treat the defeat as a reason to rethink everything, the focus is on analysing the mistakes that surfaced in the match.
Two areas sit at the top of Zidane's list, according to the report: the defensive fragility that showed in several spells, and the gradual breakdown of collective organisation as the match wore on.
Logistical problems increase tension behind the scenes
The troubles on France's trip to Italy were not confined to the pitch. The journey also brought complications over air travel for the players' families, which frustrated a number of the squad.
A logistical meeting had been held on Sunday inside the French Football Federation to ensure the arrangements were ready and to avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous camp. Yet some of the same problems resurfaced on the Milan trip.
Several members of the coaching staff again voiced their displeasure at the work of team manager Laurent Georges, according to the report. Word reached Georges and ratcheted up the tension in the camp.
Equipment officer Bastien Guiraud, meanwhile, remains on sick leave.
