France’s head coach, Didier Deschamps, is reportedly outraged by Kylian Mbappe’s unexpectedly early return to football following an injury,
Marca reported that Mbappe was initially sidelined for three weeks after being subbed off during Real Madrid’s victory over Alaves. Contrary to expectations, he returned nine days later to play against Lille in the UEFA Champions League and participated for 70 minutes in a subsequent match against Villarreal.
Kylian Mbappe’s swift comeback has led to tension, as Deschamps excluded Mbappe from the squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League games. The French coaching staff feels that Mbappe, the national team captain, has sidelined himself from national duties prematurely, considering his inclusion in the Real Madrid lineup indicated a recovery from what was thought to be a more serious injury.
This situation arises as France, having recently lost to Italy, seeks to improve its standing in the Nations League with upcoming matches against Hungary and Belgium. Additionally, Mbappe has faced significant criticism, including from former France and Manchester United captain Patrice Evra. Evra has publicly questioned the decision to make Mbappe the national team captain, suggesting that he has not yet reached the maturity or skill level of players like Karim Benzema.
Evra expressed his views on the RMC Sport show, “Rothen S’enflamme,” saying, “You gave him the keys to PSG, the keys to the French national team, but Mbappé is still a young player. With all due respect to him, he has not yet reached Benzema’s level.” He added that he would have preferred Antoine Griezmann as captain, questioning the motivational impact of handing young Mbappe such significant responsibilities.
