France predicted lineup vs. Italy: captain Kylian Mbappe returns for Les Bleus

France can potentially book their place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals on Thursday evening, as they visit Italy for their penultimate fixture in League A Group 1.

After a 1-1 draw in Paris earlier this season, the old foes will reconvene in Milan, where Les Bleus' all-time top scorer Kylian Mbappe should reclaim the armband.

Injured in the act of scoring against Belgium on matchday one, Mbappe is now fully fit, having scored yet again for Real Madrid last weekend.

With Ousmane Dembele and Esteban Lepaul currently injured, Marcus Thuram is his captain's chief back-up, and the Inter Milan striker will hope for a chance to impress on home turf.

Following their role in an incredible late comeback against Belgium last time out, Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki and Michael Olise are likely to support Mbappe up front - Olise already has six goal involvements in this season's Nations League.

Mbappe's Madrid colleagues Ibrahima Konate and Aurelien Tchouameni are both available after missing Zinedine Zidane's first squad in September, but the visitors will still be without several men at San Siro.

In addition to Dembele and his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Maghnes Akliouche, both William Saliba and Manu Kone have just returned to fitness and were not called up.

Like Kone and AC Milan captain Mike Maignan, Pierre Kalulu is one of many France players based in Italy, but he has just been ruled out of Thursday's game by a hamstring injury.

More positively for Zidane, Dayot Upamecano can return to the back four after serving a one-match ban for his red card against the Azzurri on matchday two.

France possible starting lineup:

Maignan; Gusto, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert; Cherki, Tchouameni, Rabiot; Olise, Doue, Mbappe