Kylian Mbappe dropped from France National team for upcoming international break

Kylian Mbappe is being excluded from Didier Deschamps' France team for the forthcoming UEFA Nations League encounters versus Israel and Belgium to facilitate his recuperation from a thigh injury.

After sustaining an injury during Real Madrid's 3-2 La Liga victory over Alavés on September 24, it was initially anticipated that Kylian Mbappé would miss three weeks. However, on Wednesday, he was able to play from the bench in his team's unexpected 1-0 UEFA Champions League loss at Lille. Deschamps has opted to keep his captain out in spite of that earlier-than-planned return so that he can maximize his recuperation time while remaining in Madrid.

Deschamps has named his first team since Antoine Griezmann's unexpected decision to end his international career after 137 caps. In an effort to bridge the gap caused by the loss of Mbappé and the senior player from Atletico Madrid, he has chosen Christopher Nkunku, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola.

The last time Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann were absent from a France team was in November 2013, when Les Bleus defeated Ukraine 3-0 to earn a spot in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Back then, Mbappé was 14 years old. On October 11, France will play Israel in Budapest. On October 14, they will go to Brussels to play Belgium.

“Antoine Griezmann who has come full circle” : Didier Deschamps

Earlier this week, France forward Antoine Griezmann declared his retirement from international football. The 33-year-old Atletico Madrid player helped his nation win the 2018 World Cup by making 137 appearances, netting 44 goals, and converted a penalty kick in the championship game as France defeated Croatia 4-2 in Moscow.

The France national team manager spoke on Griezzman’s decision as he said, "I won't go into the details of his decision but he was already thinking about it during the last competition. There is the physical dimension with the schedules that are not going to improve but there is the psychological fatigue. During the discussion, I had an Antoine Griezmann who has come full circle."