Kylian Mbappé was a no-show at France’s training session on Tuesday, making him the only player from the 23-man squad to miss practice at Clairefontaine today. This is not how you want to kick off an international break, right?
Mbappé Sidelined With Cold as Zidane Takes the Reins
The Real Madrid forward, 27, skipped out because he’s dealing with cold-like symptoms, according to L’Équipe. He’s staying put at the Château de Clairefontaine while the rest of the squad gets ready. This is a big deal, especially since it’s Zinédine Zidane’s first international break as manager of Les Bleus, and Mbappé was there for his initial session on Monday. You’d think Zidane would want his captain leading the charge from day one.
France’s Opener Against Turkiye Just Got Complicated
France has their UEFA Nations League opener against Turkiye coming up fast on Friday night. Mbappé’s absence from practice, even for a cold, is a huge curveball. He is obviously keen to recover in time, but you gotta wonder what this means for their prep. RMC Sport is even hearing that Zidane might wanna shift Mbappé to the left side of France’s attack, pushing Ousmane Dembélé to play centrally. Missing crucial practice time for a potential tactical tweak? Not ideal, especially with Belgium twice and Italy also on the docket this international break.
Remember, this is the guy who blew past Olivier Giroud to become Les Bleus’ all-time top scorer at last summer’s FIFA World Cup. His presence, or lack thereof, is monumental. All eyes will be on his recovery, and whether he can shake off these symptoms in time to lead France into what promises to be a tough Nations League opener on Friday. Let’s hope he’s back on the pitch and ready to go!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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