More isolated and having lost his inner circle: behind the scenes of Mbappé's suffering at the France national team camp

What is Dembélé's connection?

A press report on Tuesday laid bare the situation surrounding Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé in the France camp after recent events.

France have begun their training camp ahead of the clash with Italy on 12 November and then the home tie against Turkey on 15 November. All eyes are on Mbappé, both his form on the pitch and his role in a side he captains.

With Ousmane Dembélé out, new boss Zinedine Zidane is expected to field Mbappé as an out-and-out striker rather than on the left wing.

That experiment lasted less than an hour last time out. A knee injury in September, picked up during the first match in Turkey, cut it short.

He also won't have to navigate the tension that has crept into relations between Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain players in recent weeks, particularly over the Ballon d'Or.

According to "L'Équipe", Dembélé never replied to a WhatsApp message from Mbappé trying to smooth things over, something the France captain couldn't understand.

September's gathering left its mark on the France dressing room, even though Mbappé's time there was brief after he returned to his club early.

The newspaper paints a picture of a more isolated player now. At the World Cup, he was always surrounded by his inner circle of Dembélé, Thuram, Oulis and Chérki.

The fallout with Dembélé, famed for his cheerful nature, has cut deep, and perhaps Mbappé underestimated it. He tried to rescue the situation, though not always in the best way.

L'Équipe has reported on several occasions that the French number 10 showed interest in some team-mates and members of the coaching staff, something that struck observers as unusual and was read as opportunism.

Thuram's absence hurts too. Mbappé is close to the Inter Milan man, who so often manages to bridge the gap.

Mbappé must find his place in an ever-changing group. As captain, and a divisive one at that, he knows his leadership flows first and foremost from what he produces on the pitch.

He has proven it before, uniting the team as he did in the United States. Now he has to do it again.