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·8. November 2024
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·8. November 2024
For the second consecutive international break, Kylian Mbappé (25) won’t be making the trip to Clairefontaine. Reports suggest that the former Paris Saint-Germain forward was reticent to join up with the France squad in September, before ultimately doing so. He was absent, however, in October, with Didier Deschamps evoking a decision to preserve Mbappé, taken in conjunction with Real Madrid.
This time, Deschamps revealed that Mbappé wanted to join up with Les Bleus. However, he was not selected with Deschamps vague in his explanation of what he has described as a one-off decision. Deschamps added that non-sporting reasons, a likely reference to an ongoing rape investigation in Sweden in which the France captain is reported to be an alleged suspect, were not a factor in that decision.
On the pitch, the former AS Monaco forward has struggled since joining Real Madrid, particularly in the big matches. Without specifically addressing Deschamps’ snub of Mbappé, “it’s not up to me to comment [on it],” Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about the current situation.
“He’s training well. He is having a difficult moment, but all of us too,” said the Italian, referencing Real Madrid’s middling form in the wake of quick-fire defeats to Barcelona, Lille OSC, and AC Milan. “I think that the problem he (Mbappé) has is the problem that we all have: we are failing to show the best versions of ourselves,” he added.