France and Belgium go into Monday's France vs Belgium at the Stade de France without three suspended players. Dayot Upamecano will miss the rematch after his red card against Italy, while Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans are also banned after bookings that trigger a one-match suspension.
Belgium lose two central midfielders
Belgium's problem is not just the absence of one star. De Bruyne picked up another booking against Türkiye, and Tielemans did too, so Belgium lose both creativity and control for a match they already lost 1-0 at home to France in the first leg on September 28, 2026.
De Bruyne has still produced 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 Nations League appearances, with a 7.77 rating in the 2026 UEFA Nations League. Tielemans has played 270 minutes and carries a 6.82 rating, which shows how heavily Belgium have leaned on him even if he has not matched De Bruyne's output.
Upamecano leaves camp early
Upamecano's absence is simpler. Foot Mercato reported that he will leave the France camp at Clairefontaine on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m., and the Bayern Munich defender returns to club duty without any injury issue attached to the move. He has also carried a 7.06 Bundesliga rating for Bayern Munich this season.
So Foot summed up the situation neatly: "They will miss the rematch." That is exactly the point here. The rematch on October 5 starts with two teams already missing major pieces, and Belgium are the side that lose two of their most established midfield names at once.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
