Video: "You have the Champions League with Real".. Mancini sends an "unusual" message to Mbappé

A month after their 1-1 draw in France, Les Bleus face Italy tomorrow, Thursday, in Milan, in the UEFA Nations League.

 Kylian Mbappé will miss the match. The France star is not fit due to a hamstring injury.

Zinedine Zidane confirmed the absence at a press conference, telling reporters: "Yes, Kylian will not be available tomorrow. He felt some pain, and we will not take a risk with him. It is unfortunate to lose players, but that is part of the game. I hope the injury is not serious and that he returns on Sunday."

Italy coach Roberto Mancini had already fronted the media before Mbappé's absence was confirmed, cracking a joke about the Frenchman and tomorrow's match.

He urged Mbappé to sit it out, insisting his own side boasts plenty of outstanding players.

Next matches

ITA

UEFA Nations League A

12 Nov 2026

14:45

FRA

 "I advise Mbappé not to take a risk," Mancini said with a smile. "He has the Champions League to play with Real Madrid. Alongside Mbappé, there are excellent players such as Doué, Olise and Barcola. France remains a great team."

Absences hit the Les Bleus camp

Zidane's troubles do not stop with Mbappé. France are reeling from a string of significant absences ahead of the matches against Italy and Turkey.

Tchouaméni left camp after picking up an injury, and Marcus Thuram and Pierre Kalulu are both ruled out despite having been part of the plans. The original squad had already lost a number of attacking players to injury, most notably Ousmane Dembélé, Magnes Akliouche and Esteban Lepaul.

Thuram made the squad before injury struck, forcing Zidane into further tweaks. He called up Elye Junior Kroupi to cover for him, then turned to Maghnes Akliouche once Tchouaméni went down.

France's qualification chances

France head into Thursday evening's clash with Italy in Milan with more than one goal in mind. This is more than a top-of-the-table showdown between the two leaders of Group One in the UEFA Nations League. Victory, or even a point, could seal a place in the quarter-finals and top spot before the final round.

Zidane's side hold a clear edge in the group's calculations, having collected 10 points from four matches. Italy sit on 7 and Belgium on 6, while Turkey prop up the standings with none.

The first meeting between France and Italy ended 1-1, a game in which an error from Lucas Da Cunha handed Italy their equaliser. This time France want to secure their passage to the quarter-finals before thinking about clinching top spot.

Fate is in their own hands. A draw against Italy is enough to guarantee a top-two finish and a place in the quarter-finals, with no need to wait for the final round, according to a report by France's RMC network.

Italy and Belgium are locked in a direct battle for the second qualifying spot, and the two teams meet next Sunday in Brussels. One point from the San Siro would spare France any complicated calculations over qualification.

Written byAbobakr El Mokadem

Senior Editor

An Egyptian journalist since 2006. I initially specialized in covering local football, but over the years my interest expanded to global football, particularly the top five European leagues, with a special focus on La Liga and the Premier League.

Throughout these years, I combined field reporting with analytical work, and I became deeply involved in international football starting in 2017, when I joined Kooora.

At Kooora, I worked as a news editor, match analyst, translator, voice-over commentator, and video report producer, in addition to writing reports and articles, developing coverage plans for major events and key matches, and participating in their execution.

My passion for football began in 1990, during Egypt’s celebrations of qualifying for the Italy World Cup after a 56-year absence. I vividly remember the Egypt vs Netherlands match and Magdy Abdelghani’s historic equalizer.

On the global level, I became attached to Real Madrid at the start of the new millennium, following the great stars who wore its shirt, especially Zinedine Zidane, and later my favorite player Cristiano Ronaldo.

There are many unforgettable moments, but I would highlight Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Real Madrid in 2009 as the most important, as my favorite player joined the club I support in Europe.

Currently, I specialize in desk editing, translating international news and reports, proposing coverage ideas, and writing SEO-optimized content.

My all-time favorite lineup includes Gianluigi Buffon in goal; Cafu, Franz Beckenbauer, Paolo Maldini, and Roberto Carlos in defense; Zinedine Zidane, Andrés Iniesta, Diego Maradona, and Pelé in midfield; and in attack Ronaldo Nazário, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Among the reports and analyses I published on Kooora:

– After Deco and Scaloni’s statements… Is Messi’s era over?

– A golden hour gives Real Madrid hope to overcome Barcelona

– Kooora Report: Unsung heroes who shaped the greatness of the Champions League

– Kooora Story: Real Madrid defeats “itself” and wins a historic title

You can follow me on my social media accounts via the following links:

View Author Profile