Doubts about Kylian Mbappé’s withdrawal from France squad

Kylian Mbappé’s (26) withdrawal from the France squad after the 4-0 win over Ukraine, which secured their qualification for the FIFA World Cup, has come into question. The FFF announced in the wake of that win at the Parc des Princes that the France captain would not make the trip to Azerbaijan in what was essentially a dead rubber due to ankle inflammation.

The FFF’s statement confirmed that Mbappé would return to parent club Real Madrid. And while it is true that Mbappé has been struggling with an ankle issue, described as “almost chronic” by Les Bleus’ manager Didier Deschamps, L’Équipe understands that he did not return to the Spanish capital on Friday, as planned – or at the very least, communicated. 

An account called Drikcfootball showed Mbappé at a padel club on Saturday morning, in Dubai, UAE. It is unclear whether Mbappé practiced the sport. In any case, L’Équipe understands that he spent several days in the Middle East.

In addition, the publication understands that the ankle issue from which Mbappé purportedly continues to suffer does not even require medical tests and so there have been none. Instead, he is expected back in first-team training at Real Madrid on Wednesday and his participation against Elche over the weekend is not in doubt.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle