Kane record, Mbappe blow, Klopp's stalled start: Nations League talking points

The UEFA Nations League group stage resumes with matches five and six this week and next, as the tournament inches closer to its finals. The top two teams in each of the four initial groups, A1, A2, A3, and A4, will face off in a two-legged quarter-final showdown in March. The semi-finals and final are scheduled for June at a yet-to-be-determined host nation, with Spain currently vying for the honor. Portugal and Spain have both secured their spots, having won all four of their opening matches.

England's Harry Kane is poised to set a new record for the most appearances for his country. The 33-year-old striker is on track to surpass Peter Shilton's all-time record of 125 caps by starting against Croatia at Wembley Stadium on Thursday. Kane will make his 126th appearance for England, breaking the previous record held by Shilton.

France's injury woes have added to their challenges ahead of their matches against Italy and Turkey. Key players such as William Saliba, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, Manu Kone, Ousmane Dembele, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Marcus Thuram are all injured or unavailable. Zinedine Zidane has called up uncapped 17-year-old Bouremouth forward Junior Kroupi to replace Thuram.

Italy, despite a disappointing start to the tournament, has bounced back with wins over Turkey and a draw with France. Roberto Mancini's young and inexperienced squad, including a 17-year-old debutant, faces a crucial match against Belgium in Brussels on Sunday. Mancini lamented the lack of experience in his currently inexperienced squad, noting that the Italians relied more on veteran players during their successful Euro 2020 campaign.