PARIS: Belgium attacker Lean­dro Trossard is hoping to take his club form with Arsenal to the national team, after returning to the squad for the Nations League matches against Italy and France over the next week.

Trossard is expected to fill the pivotal midfield role that injured Kevin De Bruyne usually plays for the Group A2 matches in Rome on Thursday and then home to France on Monday.

“That hasn’t been discussed with the coach yet, but that will become clear today or tomorrow,” Trossard told a press conference on Tuesday. “I don’t know yet what position I will play but it’s always nice to be played in your best position. At the European Championship, for example, I had to fill many roles.”

Trossard said he prefers being on the left side of the attack but Jeremy Doku is expected to fill that role. In the absence of De Bruyne, Trossard looks set to be used centrally by coach Domenico Tedesco.

At Arsenal in recent matches, after injury to captain Martin Odegaard, he has played successfully as a second attacker alongside Kai Havertz.

“I feel good, yes,” Trossard said. “Is this my best form ever? I dare not say but I think Im performing quite consistently at Arsenal.”

Italy will attempt to back up their strong start to the Nati­ons League after a disastrous Euro 2024 campaign, where they crashed out in the last 16 in a dire defence of their title.

The Azzurri responded to that failure by winning in France and beating Israel to begin the Nations League in September but coach Luciano Spalletti expects a stiff challenge from Belgium, who also disappointed in Germany this summer and exited in the first knockout round.

“Belgium is a good test, a strong team,” said Spalletti. “A good team that plays good football. It could be tough. I want to see the confidence, a team that works well together liked it showed in September.”

After this week’s game in Rome, Italy will move north to Udine for the visit of Israel, who are without a point in Group A2 and unable to play at home due to the security situation in the Middle East.

Israel play France on neutral ground in Budapest as Les Bleus begin life without Antoine Griezmann, who retired from international duty last week.

Griezmann’s decision to quit is further confirmation that an era has come to an end for the French side that won the 2018 World Cup and reached the final four years later in Qatar.

Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane and Olivier Giroud have all since moved on too, while captain Kylian Mbappe will not be risked against Israel or Belgium after a recent thigh problem.

Mbappe has faced a latest round of criticism at home by asking out of coach Didier Deschamp’s squad last week then starting for Real Madrid in a league game Saturday.

The search for a new captain has taken Deschamps back to Real, with 24-year-old midfielder Aurélien Tchoua­méni named Wednesday to take the armband.

INJURY-HIT GERMANY

Germany have been hit by a raft of withdrawals ahead of matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Netherlands, as goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is set to miss the rest of the season.

The Barcelona star ruptured a knee tendon and will replaced by the uncapped Oliver Baumann, with Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala also sidelined and Niclas Fuellkrug still plagued by an Achilles strain.

Germany and the Nethe­rlands drew 2-2 in Amsterdam last month and both sit on four points in Group A3, which also includes Hungary.

Defending champions Spain return on Saturday hosting Denmark who won their first two Group A4 games under new coach Lars Knudsen without conceding a goal, while Portugal hope to extend their perfect record in Group A1 as they travel to Poland and Scotland.

Cristiano Ronaldo has graced almost every national stadium in Europe across two decades and 214 games for Portugal, though not yet Hampden Park in Glasgow, where he should play there Tuesday.

It took Ronaldo until his 214th game last month to even face Scotland, and he scored a men’s record-extending 132nd goal to seal a 2-1 win in the 88th minute.

In the same group, Poland vs Croatia should see two greats face off as captains: 36-year-old Robert Lewan­dowski and 39-year-old Luka Modric.

England take on Greece at Wembley in a clash of the top two in Group B2 on Thursday before heading to Helsinki to face Finland three days later.

Captain Harry Kane has received the all-clear from England’s medical staff after going off in Bayern Munich’s 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend.

Georgia, who impressed on their major tournament debut at the Euros, play Ukraine in Poland and then host Albania after winning their opening two fixtures in Group B1.

Erling Haaland is set to captain Norway for their games with Slovenia and Austria with Martin Odegaard not yet ready to return from a twisted ankle sustained playing for his country a month ago.

Haaland, the Premier Leag­ue’s top scorer with 10 goals this term, will go up against Slovenia striker Benjamin Sesko, who leads all players so far with four goals in the Nations League.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2024