Didier Deschamps faces several selection decisions ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League semi-final against Spain at the MHPArena in Stuttgart.

As many as seven players featured in last weekend’s Champions League final — Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola, Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaire-Emery, Benjamin Pavard, and Marcus Thuram — and it remains to be seen how that might affect Deschamps’ choice of starting lineup.

Michael Olise and captain Kylian Mbappe are two attackers who are likely to start, while Randal Kolo Muani could also been given the nod by Deschamps in a three-man frontline. Kolo Muani could be sacrificed, though, if either Dembele, Doue or Barcola is deemed ready to start.

Meanwhile, another attacker in contention to feature is Man City-linked Rayan Cherki who is hoping to earn his first senior cap after a stellar campaign with Lyon. The 21-year-old is seemingly unlikely to start, but he could feature as a substitute.

If Deschamps chooses to go with a three-man midfield, Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot could be joined in the starting lineup by Roma’s Manu Kone or Lazio’s Matteo Guendouzi. N’Golo Kante has been left out of Deschamps’ squad once again, while Eduardo Camavinga is unavailable due to injury.

William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, and Jules Kounde have also been left out due to injury. The absence of Kounde is expected to open up competition between Malo Gusto and Benjamin Pavard for the right-back position. On the left side of central defence, Lucas Hernandez, Clement Lenglet, and uncapped Loic Bade are among the options who could partner Ibrahima Konate.

Lucas Digne is expected to get the nod ahead of Theo Hernandez at left-back, while Mike Maignan, who has been linked with Chelsea, remains France’s first-choice goalkeeper and is set to continue in goal.

France possible starting lineup: Maignan; Pavard, Konate, L. Hernandez, Digne; Tchouameni, Kone, Rabiot; Olise, Kolo Muani, Mbappe.

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