Amid tension in relationship with Zidane: Mbappé raises doubts before Italy clash
Doubts have grown over Kylian Mbappe's situation, the France captain, regarding his participation in the upcoming clash against Italy in the UEFA Nations League, at a time when his relationship with manager Zinedine Zidane is experiencing a state of tension.
Real Madrid's striker missed France training on Wednesday, ahead of tomorrow's clash with Italy in the fifth round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
France travel to Milan on Wednesday to prepare for the Italy game. Mbappé's absence from the session raised question marks over his fitness, especially as he took no part in the team work and limited himself to continuing treatment.
French outlet "Foot Mercato" reported that the situation of the Les Bleus captain remains unclear. There has been no official announcement of a new injury, leaving his involvement against Italy in doubt, pending what the coming hours reveal about his physical condition.
It comes at a sensitive time for France, who have already lost a number of players after the withdrawals of Pierre Kalulu, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Marcus Thuram. That pushes the technical staff to handle Mbappé's situation with caution and avoid risking him before confirming his full readiness.
His case matters all the more given the unsettled atmosphere around the national team of late, after press reports revealed tension in his relationship with Zidane, along with disagreements over his position on the pitch and a decline in communication between the two.
The final picture on Mbappé's involvement against Italy should become clear once his condition is assessed over the coming hours. Zidane hopes to have his captain back as one of the most important attacking players in the French ranks.
On results, France enter the Italy clash off a strong start to the current Nations League. They have gathered 10 points in the first four rounds of Group One in League A to top the standings, with three wins and a draw and no defeat.
France opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Turkey, Mbappé scoring the winner, before repeating the result against Belgium. A 1-1 draw with Italy followed, and they wrapped up their four games with a 4-1 thrashing of Belgium to confirm their ability to compete strongly at the top of the group.
Mbappé had picked up a knee injury during the Turkey clash, Zidane's first game in charge of France. He scored the only goal in the 54th minute but suffered an injury to one of the knee tendons, so the coach opted not to risk him and left him out of the camp. The player headed back to Madrid and sat out the following three matches against Belgium, Italy and Belgium.
Zidane took charge of France as Didier Deschamps' successor following Les Bleus' 2026 World Cup campaign, after the latter announced his departure. The former Real Madrid boss began a new phase with the national team on a four-year contract, amid high hopes of returning France to the summit of major titles, drawing on a squad rich in experience and attacking quality.
Zidane's start has been positive, yet Mbappé's absence for much of the first camp, then his return to the spotlight over his position on the pitch and his relationship with the coach, leaves the manager facing a real test. The Real Madrid captain is one of his most prominent attacking weapons, which makes his situation ahead of Italy so significant, with Zidane keen to keep the results coming and extend France's strong start to the tournament.
