Mayulu did not have far to travel. The PSG forward was already at Clairefontaine with the France Under-21s when the news came through, and will now join the senior group for the trip to San Siro on Thursday, 12 November.

His promotion was not triggered by Mbappé alone. Mayulu had initially been brought in to replace the injured Aurélien Tchouaméni, but the Real Madrid midfielder’s withdrawal has given him a clearer route into Zidane’s attacking plans. Mbappé sat out training on Wednesday, and France’s staff said he had not taken part in team training and remained “under treatment”, citing a hamstring issue first reported by L’Équipe.

A 20-year-old on a run of starts

Mayulu has started PSG’s last three matches in all competitions since recovering from an Under-21 injury, according to Yahoo Sports. He is a versatile forward who can operate across the front line, which is a large part of why Zidane is willing to hand him a senior debut in a group stage France still need to close out.

Les Bleus lead Group A1 on 10 points from four matches, three clear of Italy, and a win or draw at San Siro would book their place in the quarter-finals in March.

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Thuram out, Kroupi in too

Mbappé is not the only change. Marcus Thuram was also lost to a hamstring problem during the week, and Zidane called up Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, also 20, to replace him. Together with Paris FC striker Pablo Pagis, who was named in the original 23 on 6 November, that gives Zidane three uncapped forwards available for the Milan trip.

Bordeaux still on the table for Mbappé

Mbappé, 27, could still be back in time for the second fixture, when France host Turkey at the Stade Atlantique in Bordeaux on Sunday, 15 November. The French staff have not put a timeline on his return and are treating the hamstring as day-to-day.

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