'There will definitely be changes' - Zidane set to shake up France for Belgium clash

'There will definitely be changes' - Zidane set to shake up France for Belgium clash

France opened their campaign with a 1-0 victory over Turkey on Friday, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the winning goal before being forced off with an injury. The captain has since returned to Real Madrid.

With four matches packed into a short international window, Zidane said he would rotate his squad for the trip to Brussels.

"There will definitely be changes. How many, you will see tomorrow," Zidane said with a smile at his pre-match press conference.

"We knew we were going to play four matches in a very short period, especially this one between Turkey and Belgium, with the travel in between.

"So obviously, we are going to rotate the team a little."

The match against Belgium is France's second of four games during the international break. They will host Italy in Paris on Friday before facing Belgium again at the Stade de France on Monday, October 5.

Zidane, who is beginning his first international break as France coach, said his priority was building a relationship with his players while also demanding results.

"Everything is important, but the most important thing is getting to know one another," he said.

"The idea is always to prepare the matches properly, even if we don't have much training time. We can also do things through video.

"And then, of course, it's about winning the match because we're all competitors and when we step onto the pitch, we want to win."

Zidane is expecting a demanding test against a Belgium side who beat Italy 2-0 in Rome in their opening Group A1 fixture.

"They had a very good World Cup, and we know there are some outstanding individuals in this team," he said.

"Collectively, we know we're going to have a difficult match tomorrow. But that's what I find interesting. There are some great fixtures.

"That's what you want when you're competitive and enjoy playing football. You want to have big matches, and this is another one."

The 1998 World Cup winner also urged his players to make the most of representing France.

"There are some great matches ahead. You really have to enjoy the moment," Zidane said.

"That's what I tell them because football goes so quickly.

"I'm 54, I'm here now, and I can't play anymore. So I tell them to enjoy the moment because it flies by, and the French national team is something so beautiful that I want them to experience these moments."

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