Zinedine Zidane chose his words carefully after France’s win over Belgium. The Doué Zidane praise that followed matters for PSG supporters too. Zidane is new to the France job and still working out his best system. Désiré Doué has been central to those trials, alongside fellow Parisian Ousmane Dembélé. France play Italy tonight, and Zidane’s comments from last night give a clear sense of how he sees his most exciting attacking option.
Kylian Mbappé is out through injury. That has left Zidane leaning more heavily on his other attacking talent. That is where Doué and Dembélé come in. Both have featured in the different shapes Zidane has tried since taking charge. His latest remarks suggest he wants Doué’s role built around what suits the player, not forced into a fixed system.
Head-to-Head (H2H) Historical Analysis
There is no long managerial rivalry to draw on here. Zidane is new to the France job, so any comparison between his various setups is still a small sample. What stands out already is how often Doué and Dembélé have been paired in attack. Zidane has tried a few different setups and systems since arriving. In each version, those two PSG players have provided the width and attacking threat.
That pattern matters for PSG fans tracking minutes and roles across the international break. Doué and Dembélé are not simply filling in for an injured Mbappé. They look like the two attackers Zidane trusts most, whatever shape he settles on. He is shaping his France side position by position, game by game, and both Parisians keep finding a way into the picture.
Recent Form & Team Dynamics
Zidane was pleased with how his side handled Belgium. Belgium’s full-backs did cause problems when France were without the ball. “Yes, the play out wide worked well. It wasn’t easy when we didn’t have the ball—their two full-backs were playing very high up—but everyone was good. Désiré and Jacquet played well, but so did everyone else. It’s hard to single anyone out; I’m happy,” Zidane said.
The Doué Zidane praise continued when the France coach turned to specifics. “Desire had a very good match,” he said. That is a measured line, not a claim that the winger had produced his best game in a France shirt. Zidane also made clear that he sees Doué’s role as still being worked out. He said Doué needs to “express himself in his best position,” adding that the 20 year old has “one, two or three positions where he can play really well.”
Ousmane Dembélé has also spoken this week about the gap between how he is used at club level and on international duty. That theme is explored further in our Dembele-France piece. It’s a reminder that these PSG attackers are adjusting to a different system under Zidane, not just repeating their club roles in a blue shirt.
There is also an injury note worth tracking. Senny Mayulu picked up a left thigh injury on France Under-21 duty, detailed in the Mayulu injury update. It comes alongside a separate fitness scare covered in our Barcola injury note. With Mbappé absent and those injuries, PSG have fewer players in this squad than Luis Enrique would like as they head back to club duty.
Crucial Player Battles
The clearest internal battle is Doué’s search for a settled position. Zidane’s comment that he has “one, two or three positions where he can play really well” is both a compliment and a puzzle. It means Zidane has options, but it also means nothing is fixed yet. According to L’Equipe, Doué is set to play on the left wing against Italy. That detail is unconfirmed, though, and should be read as a report rather than a confirmed team sheet.
The second battle is less about a direct opponent and more about adjustment. Dembélé has discussed the differences between playing for PSG and for France. That experience gives him some perspective at a moment when Zidane is still shaping his own identity as France coach. Against Belgium, both coped well in wide areas, even when France’s full-backs struggled defensively without the ball. How quickly that settles against a different Italy shape will show where this France team is heading under its new coach.
Early Match Prediction & Scoreline Rationale
There is no confirmed team news for the Italy match beyond the reported, unverified plan to use Doué on the left. A precise scoreline prediction would go further than the sourcing allows. What is clear is the approach Zidane is likely to lean on. The wide combinations that worked against Belgium, built around Doué and Dembélé, give him a template he seems keen to repeat.
The bigger question for PSG supporters is less about the final score and more about workload and fitness. With Mbappé missing and Mayulu now sidelined, Doué and Dembélé are carrying more of France’s attacking responsibility than usual. Zidane’s praise suggests he trusts them to handle it. How that plays out physically over the coming days will matter just as much to Luis Enrique as it does to Zidane, with both men watching the same two players for different reasons.
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