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Paul Pogba returns to his former home in Turin tonight and his considerable influence and leadership for France has been praised by both Deschamps and Raphel Varane ahead of the meeting with Belgium.

“He brings his enthusiasm, his dynamism, his good humour,” said Manchester United and Les Bleus team-mate Varane.

“He’s got this positive energy and this experience of the highest level that he passes on. Him and me we’re not the oldest ones but not the youngest ones either so we create the link between the generations.

“Paul brings his leadership, he knows how to motivate and re-mobilise the squad. He also puts the team ahead of everything, that’s one of his strengths, which he passes on to the young generation.”

Deschamps said: "There is the player he is and what he is capable of doing. Yes, he has become more important than when he started. He is there and is one of the leaders of the French team.

"He is an expressive leader who is between generations. He can act as a relay. He has this capacity to always have this notion and this collective reflection towards his situation."

The Nations League trophy sits pitchside at the Allianz Stadium...

It was a difficult summer for De Bruyne, who missed the start of Euro 2020 with fractures of his eye socket and nose suffered during Manchester City’s Champions League final defeat by Chelsea in Porto.

He later suffered an ankle injury in the last-16 win over Portugal and has since revealed his regret at receiving two painkilling injections that allowed him to start the quarter-final defeat against Italy.

“I came in with an injury to my eye socket and after three matches I left with an even more serious ankle injury," De Bruyne said of the Euros this week.

"I knew immediately that my ankle was bad after that tackle against Portugal.

"I played against Italy with two injections.

"If I had known beforehand what my ankle would have been like afterwards, I would not have played.”

Kevin De Bruyne starts for Belgium, who, Manchester City star aside, revert back to the same XI that began the 3-0 World Cup qualifying victory over the Czech Republic in Brussels on September 5, having made several changes for the subsequent win over Belarus at the end of a triple-header.

Club Brugge midfielder Hans Vanaken makes way for De Bruyne, who plays internationally for the first time since that heartbreaking Euros quarter-final defeat by Italy in Munich.

Kylian Mbappe is back in the France starting XI again as expected after missing the win over Finland, with Manchester United’s Anthony Martial making way.

There are also changes further back, with Kurt Zouma, Presnel Kimpembe and Leo Dubois replaced by Jules Kounde, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.

The Hernandez brothers are the first siblings to play for Les Bleus together since Patrick and Herve Revelli did so against Romania back in 1974.

“They have this family bond. This does not mean that it changes anything, but I will be dealing with two players who have this connection,” said Deschamps.

Speaking in the build-up to tonight’s high-profile semi-final, Roberto Martinez insisted that Belgium are now a better side than they were in 2018, when Samuel Umtiti’s towering header from Antoine Greizmann’s delivery sealed a 1-0 World Cup last-four win for eventual champions France in St Petersburg.

That was the last time these two neighbours clashed.

"I would like to believe that we are stronger, just because we have more players," Martinez said.

"When we need cover for suspensions or injured players out of the squad, I think the number of players available for Belgium now has grown."

He added: "It gives us a lot of synchronisation, something that you don’t get in international football. I think we always try to have a certain continuity with the selection players and try to work as you would in a club environment.

"The understanding between the players is a lot bigger, and we've been through a lot together. So, in terms of experience and the pool of players. I believe that we are stronger than we were in 2018.

"We are a team that works hard to create chances. The French team is always very well drilled defensively, really well organised, and then you need to be always cautious because the moment that you lose the ball they've got a world-class attacking threat.

"This is a competition we want to be involved; it's not a friendly game with no significance. I think it's a very meaningful competition."

Whereas last night’s semi and the final itself are at Milan’s San Siro, tonight’s clash and Sunday’s third-place play-off take place at the Allianz Stadium in Turin - home of Serie A giants Juventus.

Goalkeepers: Benoît Costil (Bordeaux), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Mike Maignan (AC Milan)

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Everton), Léo Dubois (Lyon), Lucas Hernández (Bayern), Theo Hernández (AC Milan), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris), Jules Koundé (Sevilla), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern), Raphaël Varane (Man. United)

Midfielders: Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Paul Pogba (Man. United), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Monaco), Jordan Veretout (Roma)

Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (Monaco), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Moussa Diaby (Leverkusen), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid), Anthony Martial (Man. United), Kylian Mbappé (Paris)