NEW DELHI France’s national team coach Didier Deschamps announced on Thursday that Kylian Mbappe, the Real Madrid striker, would not be participating in the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel and Italy.
The national team captain’s absence marks his second consecutive omission from the French squad, following his non-selection for the October matches against Israel and Belgium.
When questioned about Mbappe’s exclusion, Deschamps remained vague about any potential injury concerns, despite the player’s recent Champions League appearance for his club on Tuesday.
The coach described it as a “one-off decision” whilst noting that Mbappe had expressed his desire to join the national team.
Mbappe, aged 25, was given time off during matches in September to recuperate from a minor thigh strain he sustained whilst playing for Real.
The situation sparked debate when he resumed playing for Real shortly afterwards, even before France’s matches had commenced.
While France secured victories against Israel (4-1) in Budapest and Belgium (2-1), Mbappe was not present. Instead, he visited Stockholm with his associates for a brief holiday.
Following his Swedish visit, local media outlets reported an investigation into alleged rape charges. Mbappe dismissed these reports as “fake news”, while his legal representative announced intentions to pursue libel action.
A Swedish prosecutor verified that an investigation was underway, though Mbappe’s name was not specifically mentioned.
Subsequently, the former Paris Saint-Germain striker has participated in four matches for his club, scoring once. Nevertheless, he has yet to regain his characteristic peak performance levels.
