Didier Deschamps bluntly rebuffed the suggestions that Real Madrid exerted any influence over his decision to leave Kylian Mbappe out of France’s squad for this month’s UEFA Nations League fixtures.
The prolific forward was made permanent captain of the national team following the retirement of Hugo Lloris in March 2023. Mbappe has only scored twice in 11 caps since taking on the armband and won’t be able to improve that indifferent form when France go up against Israel in the neutral venue of Budapest before hopping over the border to Belgium on Monday evening.
Mbappe has been struggling with a muscular issue in recent weeks and was forced to sit out the first Madrid derby of the season away to Atletico Madrid at the end of September. The 25-year-old made a surprisingly swift return to come off the bench during Real Madrid’s limp Champions League defeat to Lille before starting Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Villarreal.
Carlo Ancelotti brought his star forward off for the final 20 minutes of last weekend’s league win and hinted at his role in Mbappe’s omission from the French setup. “I had an exchange with Kylian,” the Italian revealed. “He has a problem but it is not serious. I am not going to take risks, which is why he is not in the squad.”
Deschamps was keen to quash the growing whispers that his decision-making had been dictated by Real Madrid. “Mbappe was not fit against Villarreal,” the French boss told assembled media. “There was no request. The decision is mine. He played the Villarreal game without being 100% fit.”
Antoine Griezmann announced his retirement from international football ahead of this month’s meet-up, leaving few senior options for Deschamps to choose from for the role of captain. Mbappe’s Real Madrid teammate Aurelien Tchouameni was given the responsibility.
Most of the questions fired at the 24-year-old midfielder surrounded the player he was replacing. Tchouameni echoed the sentiment expressed by his manager, insisting that Real Madrid had nothing to do with the absence of Mbappe or his other club-mate, Ferland Mendy: “I have spoken about it with Kylian and with Ferland [Mendy] and it has never happened. There are physical problems, that’s the case with Kylian. There is no pressure from the club.”
