It’s tough times for the sensational forward Kylian Mbappe. After making headlines for finally joining his “dream club” Real Madrid this summer, he is failing to leave a mark on the champion team. Now, he has been left out of the France men’s international team for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches too.
The 25-year-old pacy World Cup winner was left out of the squad last month, after reports got published on October 10 of an alleged rape case he got linked with in Sweden. Now, this is the second consecutive time he is being left out of the French rooster.
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Didier Deschamps on dropping Kylian Mbappe
France head coach Didier Deschamps has however made it clear that the star forward has not been ruled out for “non-sporting” reasons, and he has not been chosen because the coach feels “it’s better like that”.
Deschamps further said on leaving out the star forward (as per Athletic), “It’s a bit in general, but we’ve had three consecutive wins and we have two objectives in this camp, as well as the one I just told you about being able to share out playing time. To guarantee our qualification for the final eight and to be able to play for first place in the final match. Those are two objectives for this latest camp that are important.”
The above statement made by the coach is enough to assure that Kylian Mbappe has not been ruled out of the squad for long and only has been dropped for the time being. Also, the dropping has been a decision taken for the team and not for any non-sporting reasons.
Deschamps also made it clear that he doesn’t want to be misinterpreted on the situation, so he won’t say further. The coach also stated that he took the call only after witnessing Kylian Mbappe in a few exchanges.
Kylian Mbappe’s performance this season
Mbappe hasn’t matched his capabilities yet this season. He led France to the semi-finals of Euro 2024 but scored only one goal in the entire competition. In the UEFA Nations League this year, he appeared in the first two games of Group 2, scored none, and was dropped from the other two.
For Real Madrid, he has only six games in the La Liga and one in the UEFA Champions League. His open-play goals are minimal. Real Madrid is currently trailing in both competitions, and it looks tough for them to defend both titles.
France squad for November 2024, and upcoming matches
In the November international break, France’s Men’s Football side will play Israel on the 14th and Italy on the 17th. The side is currently second in the group stage of the Nations League and will aim to finish at the top spot where Italy are currently at.
France Squad for the November international break
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier (Lille), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Lens)
Defenders: Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa/ENG), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea/ENG), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), William Saliba (Arsenal/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio/ITA), N’Golo Kante (Al Ittihad/KSA), Manu Kone (Roma/ITA), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani (Paris Saint-Germain), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea/ENG), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/GER), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan/ITA)
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