France can book a Nations League quarterfinal spot with a win over Italy at San Siro on Thursday, and they will most likely have to do it without Kylian Mbappé. Mbappé sat out training Wednesday with a hamstring problem, and Zinedine Zidane responded by calling up a second uncapped 20-year-old forward in two days, Paris Saint-Germain's Senny Mayulu.

What we know about Mbappé

The French sports daily L'Équipe reported that Mbappé will not play Thursday in Milan, the Associated Press said, though he could be available for Sunday's game against Türkiye in Bordeaux. If that report holds, this is a one-game absence rather than a lost window.

Mayulu did not have far to travel. He was already at Clairefontaine with France's Under-21 squad and was set to leave for Milan later Wednesday.

Two newcomers and a long list of absences

Mayulu joins Bournemouth's Éli Junior Kroupi, also 20 and also uncapped, who replaced Marcus Thuram on Tuesday. Thuram hurt his hamstring scoring in Inter's 2-0 win over Como on Sunday, and France released him back to his club after he showed no improvement.

The two call-ups are the most visible part of a much bigger problem. France were already without William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Koné, Ousmane Dembélé and Esteban Lepaul, according to SABC Sport. Aurélien Tchouaméni went back to Real Madrid with the same right adductor injury he had at the World Cup, and Zidane chose not to replace him. Pierre Kalulu's hamstring brought in uncapped right back Sael Kumbedi.

Put together, that is a squad heading to Milan missing its captain and several regular starters, with three uncapped players brought in over the course of one week. It is a very diferent team from the one that played at the World Cup this summer.

Italy have their own in-form No. 9

Italy are not short of a reason to believe. Francesco Pio Esposito already has seven goals in 13 games for his country, according to Corriere dello Sport, and his brother Sebastiano is favored to start on the right. That is the same Pio Esposito who is currently Inter's only fully fit striker.

France still control the group: as leaders, a win in Milan sends them through to the March quarterfinals. The question for Zidane is whether a patched-up attack with two 20-year-olds on the bench can get that result in one of the hardest away grounds in Europe, before Mbappé is even back.