Mbappé-Less France To Meet Confident Belgium In Brussels Tonight

Mbappé-less France face confident Belgium in Brussels tonight as Zinedine Zidane’s side look to maintain their winning start to the Nations League.

France will face Belgium in Brussels tonight without Kylian Mbappé, turning what was already a heavyweight UEFA Nations League meeting into a major early test for Zinedine Zidane’s new-look side. Mbappé scored the winner in Zidane’s first match as France coach, beating Türkiye 1-0 on Friday. However, the Real Madrid forward was forced off shortly after his goal with a left-knee injury. The French Football Federation later confirmed a tendon injury, and Mbappé left the national-team camp on Saturday without being replaced.

That leaves France without their captain for the trip to Brussels, although Zidane still has considerable attacking depth at his disposal. The coach has already confirmed that changes will be made to his starting XI after the short turnaround between the two matches. Belgium, meanwhile, arrives with confidence after beginning Mark van Bommel’s tenure with a 2-0 victory over Italy in Rome.

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How Will France Replace Mbappé?

Mbappé’s absence changes the shape of the attacking discussion for France. He scored France’s only goal against Türkiye and was the focal point of their attack before his injury, while Zidane now has to decide how to redistribute that responsibility. Ousmane Dembélé is among the senior attacking options available to France, while Désiré Doué is another player who could move into a more central role. French reports have suggested that Doué could be used as a false nine against Belgium as Zidane makes several changes to his lineup.

The changes are not solely connected to Mbappé’s injury. Zidane said the short gap between the Türkiye and Belgium games means rotation is necessary, with France travelling directly from Türkiye to Belgium. That gives several players an opportunity to make an impression during the new coach’s first international window.

Why Are Belgium Feeling Confident?

Belgium has their own reason for entering the match with momentum. Van Bommel’s first competitive match in charge ended with a 2-0 victory over Roberto Mancini’s Italy. Belgium were particularly impressive in the first half, creating several opportunities before goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukébakio secured the three points.

Kevin De Bruyne remains the key experienced figure in the Belgian midfield. The 35-year-old recently confirmed that he intends to continue playing international football as long as he remains motivated and physically fit, giving Van Bommel an experienced leader during Belgium’s transition. Belgium will also benefit from playing at the King Baudouin Stadium, where they will be looking to build on their opening-day result against Italy.

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Can France Cope Without Their Captain?

The immediate challenge for France is proving that losing Mbappé does not disrupt the attacking balance Zidane is trying to establish. France began the Nations League with three points after the narrow victory in Türkiye, while Belgium took three points from Italy. Both teams therefore enter the second round at the top end of Group A1, making the Brussels meeting an important early test.

There is also recent history on France’s side. Les Bleus have won their last five meetings with Belgium, including victories in both of their Nations League encounters in the previous edition. Belgium’s most recent competitive victory over France came in 1981 World Cup qualifying. Those results, however, offer little protection for Zidane’s team tonight. Belgium have already shown under Van Bommel that they can create problems against a strong opponent, while France must adjust their attacking structure without the player who scored their winning goal just three days ago.

Mbappé’s injury has therefore given Zidane an unexpected problem at the very beginning of his tenure. How France respond could tell us plenty about the depth and flexibility of this new-look team. Can France maintain their winning start under Zidane without Mbappé against an increasingly confident Belgium?

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