France coach Didier Deschamps cast further doubt on the international future of striker Olivier Giroud by leaving him out of the squad of players for next week's games in the Nations League.
Giroud, 35, did not feature in the group for last month's three qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup.
And the front line lynchpin of the 2018 World Cup-winning team was among the notable absentees for the tie in Turin against Belgium.
If France win, Deschamps' men will play either Italy or Spain in the final at the San Siro in Milan on 10 October.
Should France lose, they will contest the match for third place in Turin on the same day.
Giroud, who featured in the Chelsea squad in the Champions League final win over Manchester City, joined AC Milan at the start of the season in an effort to play more regularly and remain in contention for a place in the France squad.
The veteran was lambasted for not scoring during France's surge to the world crown in Russia but he has closed to within five strikes of equalling Thierry Henry's national record tally of 51 goals.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini kept faith with the 22 players that won the Europeoan championships in July.
Lorenzo Pellegrini, who missed the tournament through injury, is included while Leonardo Spinazzola continues his recovery from the achilles tendon injury he suffered during the 2-1 quarter-final victory over Belgium.
