Bradley Barcola found himself playing up front again as France lost to Italy in the Nations League, with the Liverpool forward still trying to find some form this season

Zinedine Zidane has jumped to the defense of Bradley Barcola as the Liverpool forward works to find his form this season.

It has been something of a slow start to the season for Barcola following his big-money move from Paris Saint-Germain, although there have been some signs of him finding his feet at Anfield, having recorded assists in three of his last four Premier League games.

That momentum was checked on Thursday though as he started in France’s 3-1 defeat to Italy in the Nations League. Although both he and Jeremy Jacquet fared better than some of their teammates, it wasn’t exactly a night to remember for them either.

Without Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, Barcola was utilized as a center-forward, with the 24-year-old returning to the role a week after leading the line for Liverpool against Fenerbahce.

He did strike the woodwork during the first-half, but the experiment yielded a similar result to his performance in Istanbul, although Zidane got what he wanted out of Barcola.

"I saw Desire [Doue] a lot on the left wing and Bradley in the center, and that's what was planned,” Zidane said (via Foot Mercato).

“They could switch positions. When you have the ball, you have to create movement, above all. We played against a team that knows how to defend very well.”

He added: "No, we're not worried, it's part of football. It's also about having moments like this to see how we'll react. It's better to have them now. We're still here, in the race. Tonight wasn't a bad game. We didn't know how to react in difficult moments, there's room for improvement.”

Zidane’s defense comes after Barcola admitted last week that he’s still working to find some form since joining Liverpool.

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He has started seven of the eight league games he has played in since making the move from PSG in the summer, but he is yet to score in the Premier League. Barcola feels he is on the right track though as he starts to settle in more on Merseyside.

"No, I don't think I'm at my best yet," he told Sky Sports. "You still haven't seen the best version of me. On top of that, we're working with my teammates so that they can make the most of my strengths.

"So yes, I think once we really develop that understanding, things will get much better," Barcola continued. "And I think things are improving all the time. People are beginning to understand my style of play much better. I think it's going much better."