World Player of the Year Antoine Dupont will captain Six Nations favourites France against Italy on Sunday, while coach Fabien Galthie has Covid-19.

Wing Tommaso Menoncello and number eight Toa Halafihi will make their debuts in a youthful Italy side.

Gloucester's Stephen Varney will start at scrum-half for the Azzurri in Paris.

France had a chance to win the title in 2021, but finished second after they were agonisingly beaten by Scotland in their final game.

The 2023 World Cup hosts look even stronger this year after a historic 40-25 victory against New Zealand - and Galthie has largely kept faith with the side that earned that win.

Dupont captains in the absence of Charles Ollivon, who has a long-term knee injury, and the scrum-half will play only his second game since 11 December after contracting coronavirus and having his own knee issue.

Assistant coach Raphael Ibanez will take the reigns at the Stade de France, with Galthie isolating.

Cameron Woki has been declared fit to start alongside Paul Willemse in the second row and props Uini Atonio and Cyril Baille join Marchand in the front row.

Dupont will partner fly-half Romain Ntamack and Jothan Danty joins Gael Fickou in the midfield, with Damian Penaud and Gabin Villiere on the wings.

For Italy, who have finished last in every Six Nations since 2016, Montpellier's Paolo Garbisi will start at fly-half and Michele Lamaro will captain from the back row.

Australia-born Monty Ioane is on the left wing and English scrum-half Callum Braley is on the bench.

Prop Tiziano Pasquali will make his first international appearance since the 2019 World Cup, while flanker Manuel Zuliani and fly-half Leonardo Marin await their debuts on the bench.

Line-ups

France: Jaminet; Penaud, Danty, Fickou, Villiere, Ntamack, Dupont (capt); Baille, Marchand, Atonio, Woki, Willense, Jelonch, Cretin, Alldritt.

Replacements: Mauvaka, Gros, Bamba, Taofifenua, Cros, Lucu, Moefana, Ramos.

Italy: Padovani; Menoncello, Brex, Zanon, Ioane; Garbisi, Varney; Rischetti, Lucchesi, Pasquali, Cannone, Ruzza, Negri, Lamaro, Halafihi.

Replacements: Faiva, Nemer, Zilocchi, Fuser, Pettinelli, Zuliani, Braley, Marin.