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Kylian Mbappé has not been included in France‘s squad for their Nations League fixtures against Israel and Italy, head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed on Thursday as his captain’s absence now stretches to four matches.
The 25-year-old forward has drawn criticism for his performances since he joined Real Madrid in the summer, with the Spanish club trailing Barcelona by nine points in LaLiga and languishing in 18th spot in the Champions League league table. He missed two France games last month, against Israel and Belgium.
“I’ve had discussions with him, it is a decision that I took for this block of matches only,” Deschamps told a press conference. “Kylian wanted to come.”
Despite the criticism, Mbappé has scored six goals and provided one assist in 10 games for his new club, but has struggled to form a productive relationship with fellow Madrid star Vinícius Júnior.
Mbappé was caught offside a career-high eight times in last month’s Clásico — matching the highest total for any player in a LaLiga game in the last 15 years — as Barcelona thrashed Madrid in a 4-0 victory.
“We may not agree on everything,” Deschamps added. “These are discussions I can have with the players. I’m not here to be told by the players that I’m the best and the most handsome. I listen to them. I’ve always been inspired by these discussions, whether individual or collective, protecting all the players.
“That’s why I can have many discussions that can go beyond the sphere of the pitch, because they know very well that we know who has spoken if something comes up. These exchanges are important to me. With the advantage of hindsight, calm and as much clarity as possible, I make the decisions that seem best to me.”
Last month Mbappé was criticised in his home country for skipping Les Bleus‘ Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while being available to play for Madrid.
France, who are second in Group A2 — a point behind Italy after four games — take on Israel next Thursday at the Stade de France and travel to face the Italians on Nov. 17.
France squad:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Lens), Lucas Chevalier (Lille)
Defenders: Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea), Theo Hernández (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio), N’Golo Kanté (Al Ittihad), Manu Koné (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Bradley Barcola (PSG), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)