Deschamps Excludes Madrid Star From France Squad For Matches Against Israel And Italy

Real Madrid forward, Kylian Mbappe, was not named in France’s squad to face Israel and Italy in Nations League games, coach Didier Deschamps said on Thursday.

Deschamps did not say whether Mbappe, who played with his club in the Champions League on Tuesday, was injured, arguing his choice was a “one-off decision” and that the player “wanted to come” and join the team.

Mbappe, who has been experiencing a dip in form since joining Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain during the summer, missed two of France’s matches last month against Israel and Belgium.

In last month’s Clásico, Mbappé was flagged offside a career-high eight times, matching the highest total recorded for any player in a La Liga match over the past 15 years, as Barcelona defeated Madrid 4-0.

“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, currently in second place in Group A2 just one point behind Italy after four matches, will face Israel next Thursday at the Stade de France and will travel to play against the Italians on November 17th.

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)