France have left out Kylian Mbappe, Adrien Rabiot, and Ferland Mendy from the squad for their upcoming matches. Didier Deschamps has stated that he only wants fully fit players in the side as they gear up to face Israel and Belgium in the UEFA Nations League.
Mbappe has been dealing with a hamstring issue since the end of September and was supposed to miss three weeks. However, he made his return to the pitch earlier this week in the 1-0 loss to Lille.
Despite making his return, Mbappe will not be in the squad to face Israel and Belgium. Deschamps explained his decision, stating that he did not want to take any risk with the Real Madrid star and was ready to give the forward enough time to recover. He said via ESPN:
“I spoke with Kylian about the situation, which is still uncertain after coming on as a substitute on Wednesday. He has a match on Saturday and there are questions. He has a problem which is not serious but he needs treatment to recover properly. I am not here to take risks. That is why Kylian is not here. I have no doubt about Kylian’s commitment but he was not in the best condition during the last gathering.”
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Apart from Mbappe, the other high-profile name missing from the France squad is Antoine Griezmann. The Frenchman announced his retirement from international football earlier this week and stunned the fans. Griezmann posted on social media:
“It is with a heart full of memories that I close this chapter of my life. Thank you for this magnificent, tricolor adventure, and see you soon.”
Deschamps admitted that it would be strange not to see the Atletico Madrid star in his squad. He said:
“It is strange not to see him. I can only thank him for everything he has done and brought to the French team. He’s not ending his career either. He’s a very good example to follow for young people. It wasn’t easy for him in his career, including with France. He was always generous. He was a leader on the field, in his own way, and he was versatile.”
For the first time since November 2013, France will not have Griezmann or Mbappe in their match for the matches. No reason has been provided for the exclusion of Mendy, Rabiot, N’Golo Kante, and Benjamin Pavard, who have been key part of the squad in recent years.