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Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who captains French national team, is set to make his return for them in March for the upcoming UEFA Nations League match against Croatia, as stated by head coach Didier Deschamps. Mbappe was out of two of Deschamps' Les Bleus lineups last year to 'prioritise' regaining his form with his new club Real Madrid. However, months back, there were reports that the 25-year-old attacker was spotted partying in Sweden during which France was playing international football, which enraged the French fans online.
The 26-year-old striker, having 86 caps for France, was left out of the squads for the UEFA Nations League matches in October and November after joining Real Madrid in July last year. Further, there were reports of Mbappe considering retiring from international football following the incident in which he became a public enemy number for refusing to represent his country. Mbappé later rejected these reports, stating that he wanted to be a member of the France side.
Kylian Mbappe is very attached to the French team, and he will be there: Didier Deschamps to L’Equipe.
Didier Deschamps says that Mbappe's adaptation with Real was one of the reasons the club didn't call him back from the break. "Of course he’ll be there. Why wouldn’t he be? Yes, for very specific reasons he was not here, But he’ll be there if nothing happens to him between now and then,” Deschamps said. “He’s very attached to the French team, even if he’s had a complicated personal period. He’s back to full fitness, and you can see that in his game, and in his head too," he added.
There were major concerns over players including Mbappe, who were out of games due to injuries. However, the striker was keen to be back with the national team. However, Deschamps also mentioned that Mbappe's captaincy role was always an internal discussion, and remarked, “There have always been internal discussions, individual or collective. And (the previous international break) does not call into question his leadership. I have no reason today to say that he will not be captain in March. But I will discuss with him, as we often do.”
