When Roberto Mancini’s Italy hosts Zinedine Zidane’s explosive France side at the iconic San Siro this Thursday, the stakes in UEFA Nations League Group A1 could not be higher.
France currently controls the summit with 10 points from four matches, while Italy sits closely behind on 7 points.
Following last month’s intense 1–1 battle at the Stade de France, both legendary managers are heavily leaning on their young prospects to govern structural balance and high-intensity transitions.
Verified by performance metrics from FotMob and national federation tracking profiles, Striver.Football profiles the six young players who will shape the outcome in Milan.
Italy's young players to watch
1. Michael Kayode - Right-back
Age: 22 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 10 Premier League apps | 748 mins logged | 1 goal | 8 tackles won
Now firmly embedded as Brentford's primary right-flank outlet, Kayode marries physical duel supremacy with rapid overlapping capacity.
Having logged 90 minutes in the reverse fixture at Saint-Denis, his ability to lock down inside-forward channels while offering high-velocity wing width will dictate how quickly Italy can break out of mid-block structures.
2. Giorgio Scalvini - Centre-back
Age: 22 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 9 Serie A apps | 95% completion rate | 42 clearances | 6 tackles won
Scalvini is Mancini's central press-resistance valve. Operating in deep build-up phases, the 22-year-old centerpiece maintains absolute composure under aggressive high-pressing schemes, routinely threading vertical line-breaking passes into intermediate midfield pockets.
3. Pio Esposito - Centre-forward
Age: 21 years old
Verified 2026/27 Stats: 8 appearances | 2 Goals | 1 Assist | 470 mins played | 7.21 average FotMob rating
Standing as an imposing physical target man at 1.91 meters tall, the 21-year-old Inter Milan marksman offers the Azzurri an excellent tactical release valve up front.
Esposito excels at shielding the ball with his back to goal, holding up long distributions under heavy pressure, and bringing wide players into play. If France look to press high, his physical aerial presence will provide Italy a direct path to escape danger blocks.
France's young players to watch
4. Jeremy Jacquet - Centre-back
Age: 21 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 1 Nations League start (vs Italy) | 78 accurate distribution passes | 2 tackles won
Rapidly establishing himself as a defensive pillar under Zidane, Jacquet put on a clinic in calm distribution during his initial start against Italy.
Domineering in aerial ground-duels, his positional instinct enables Les Bleus to play an assertive high defensive line without sacrificing recovery pace against sudden counters.
5. Rayan Cherki - Attacking Midfielder
Age: 23 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 1 Nations League assist (vs Italy) | Averaging 3 key passes per 90 mins for Manchester City
Tactical Influence: Operating as Zidane's creative catalyst in half-spaces, Cherki routinely turns away from pressure to slide lethal through-balls into the box.
Having already set up Michael Olise's opener against Italy last month, his vision between the lines demands constant double-coverage from Italy's defensive pivots.
6. Desire Doue - Winger / Attacking Midfielder
Age: 21 years old
Verified 2026/27 Metrics: 1 Nations League start (vs Italy) | 76 mins played | 9 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain
Tactical Influence: Doue injects raw 1v1 isolation power into France's frontline. Thriving in congested central pockets, the PSG starlet uses sharp acceleration to draw defenders out of shape before releasing teammates or shooting from distance, making him a perpetual transition threat.
Key lessons for young players
Strong and athletic full-backs and centre-backs like Michael Kayode and Jeremy Jacquet earn high-stakes international starts by coupling 1v1 defensive containment with press-resistant distribution under heavy pressure.
Playmakers like Rayan Cherki highlight why receiving the ball on an open body angle in crowded half-spaces is the single most effective skill for unpicking compact continental mid-blocks.
Young wingers and forwards, exemplified by Desire Doue and Sebastiano Esposito—must pair direct dribbling audacity with high-intensity defensive pressing to earn trust in senior international setups.
