Kylian Mbappe Not Included In France Squad For Nations League

France’s head coach Didier Deschamps has chosen to leave captain Kylian Mbappe out of the national squad for this month’s UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Italy. Deschamps stated that this decision is a “one-off” and clarified that it was not due to any specific issue or injury.

Mbappe, who transferred to Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, has faced challenges in recent weeks, with a dip in form after a strong start in La Liga. Despite scoring eight goals in 15 appearances, he has only found the net once in his past five games, and his club Real Madrid, the reigning La Liga and Champions League champions, has struggled, falling nine points behind Barcelona.

Deschamps explained his decision by saying, “I had discussions with Kylian, and it’s better this way for now. He wanted to join the squad, but this is purely my choice for these matches.” Mbappe last featured for Les Bleus in October’s 2-0 Nations League win over Belgium, but his absence in the upcoming fixtures has sparked speculation on the striker’s recent performance.

With nine points from four games, France is second in Group 2 of the Nations League. They are set to host Israel on 15 November and then face Italy away on 18 November, where Deschamps will rely on other players to maintain the team’s momentum in Mbappe’s absence.

Full France Squad for November’s Nations League Matches:

Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier, Mike Maignan, Brice Samba

Defenders: Jonathan Clauss, Lucas Digne, Wesley Fofana, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga, Mattéo Guendouzi, N’Golo Kanté, Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaïre-Emery

Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, Randal Kolo Muani, Christopher Nkunku, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram