Kylian Mbappe has been left out of the France squad for the November international break, in circumstances that look like the 25-year-old has gotten his wish.
France are due to play Israel and Italy in their final two Nations League games of the campaign, knowing two wins would see them top their respective group. They'll have to do so without the Real Madrid forward, however, who Didier Deschamps has chosen not to select.
On leaving Mbappe out of the squad, France manager Didier Deschamps highlighted that his captain wanted to play for the national team, but he decided against selecting him.
Kylian Mbappe left out of France squad - but not by choice, apparently
"I've had discussions with him, it is a decision that I took for this block of matches only," Deschamps said at a news conference on Thursday. "Kylian wanted to come."
Considering Mbappe played a full 90 minutes against AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, there doesn't seem to be a concern of injury. Instead, it seems like Mbappe has made his case clear and gotten what he wanted.
After withdrawing from the France squad in October, citing an injury concern, Foot Mercato then suggested that Mbappe's claims of an injury were a smokescreen. The publication argued that he made clear in September he would not make himself available for the October internationals.
The Real Madrid star instead went on holiday to Stockholm, which in itself caused controversy back in France after being spotted in the early hours of the morning in a nightclub on the same night his team-mates were playing against Israel.
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Though Mbappe would have the opportunity to add to his tally of 48 goals in 86 appearances for the national team, his desire is to reportedly make a concerted push for the Ballon d'Or in 2025. In order to do so, he wants to stay as fresh as possible, which now means only playing "important games" in the calendar.
With the Nations League deemed second-rate and amid the fixture congestion in the season, could this be a case of Mbappe quietly asking Deschamps to leave him out of the latest round of fixtures?
