Cisse not in Italy squad for France game but Maignan and Rabiot should start

By: Oliver Fisher

Alphadjo Cisse will not get a dream debut for Italy at his ‘home’ stadium San Siro. At least, not tonight anyway.

Italy take on France in a home UEFA Nations League game tonight, hoping for a big win to really kick start the Roberto Mancini era. La Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Tuesday that Cisse was expected to get the nod in the front three, a further reward for his excellent start to the season.

However, TMW confirm that Mancini has announced his squad for the match against Les Bleus, and it is bad news for Cisse. The Milan forward will be sat in the stands alongside Honest Ahanor, Matteo Palma, Federico Gatti, Niccolò Pisilli and Mattia Liberali, all of whom didn’t make the cut either.

Nicolo Cambiaghi will be preferred to Alphadjo Cisse on the left side, with Pio Esposito the one leading the line. The exclusion means that the Rossoneri will not have a single member in the Azzurri matchday squad for this evening’s game.

On the flip side, both Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot are in line for starting roles. Zinedine Zidane has continued with the faith that his predecessor Didier Deschamps had in the goalkeeper and the midfielder.

Predicted Italy XI (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Kayode, Scalvini, Bastoni, Calafiori; Frattesi, Tonali, Barella; S. Esposito, Pio Esposito, Cambiaghi.

Predicted France XI (4-3-3): Maignan; Zaire-Emery, Jacquet, Upamecano, Truffert, Cherki, Da Cunha, Rabiot; Olise, Doué, Barcola.