Mbappe absence deepens questions over France role under Zidane

Kylian Mbappe will miss France’s Nations League meeting with Italy after suffering a hamstring problem, with his absence adding to reports of tension between the captain and manager Zinedine Zidane.

Mbappe’s participation against Italy was ruled out by L’Equipe, although he could still recover in time to face Turkey. Zinedine Zidane later confirmed that the Real Madrid forward would not play against Italy.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Senny Mayulu has received his first senior France call-up to cover the shortage created by several injuries. Mbappe’s fitness remains under close watch.

The timing of the injury has prompted questions because French media reports have described disagreements over Mbappe’s position and wider concerns about the atmosphere in the dressing room.

Mbappe arrived in camp after an impressive spell with Real Madrid. He was named La Liga’s player of the month for October after scoring four goals in three matches, including two against Sevilla and another in the decisive El Clasico against Barcelona.

According to official La Liga statistics, he finished the month with 11 league goals and two assists. He had also played in all 12 of Real Madrid’s league matches that season, accumulating more than 1,000 minutes.

Dispute over Mbappe’s position

L’Equipe reported that the tension began during Zidane’s first camp as France manager, when he selected Mbappe on the left wing rather than as a central striker.

The decision put Ousmane Dembele through the middle, with Zidane seeking to use the Paris Saint-Germain player’s qualities in central areas. Mbappe, however, regards himself as a centre-forward, a role that has become an important part of his development at Real Madrid.

The change was viewed by L’Equipe as potentially reducing Mbappe’s status while elevating Dembele’s role.

Reports have also suggested that Mbappe no longer enjoys unanimous support among his team-mates. Some of the tension has been linked to competition between the two players for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and comments made through the media.

Mbappe told L’Equipe on 21 September that there was no dispute with Dembele, describing him as a friend and insisting their relationship had not been affected by the award race.

More recent reports have claimed Mbappe felt isolated within the squad and had tried to build closer relationships with players including Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram and Michael Olise, although those efforts did not receive the expected response from everyone.

Previous uncertainty over international duty

The current situation also recalls Mbappe’s complicated relationship with former France manager Didier Deschamps. Mbappe missed the October and November camps in autumn 2024 despite appearing for Real Madrid.

Deschamps did not select him in October after a muscle injury, even though he came on against Lille in the Champions League and started against Villarreal in La Liga. He was left out again in November despite saying he wanted to join France. Deschamps called that decision exceptional and specific to that camp.

Mbappe returned to the squad in March 2025. Deschamps said his decisions concerned the player’s readiness and circumstances, rather than an attempt to avoid international duty.

There was also an earlier injury during Zidane’s tenure. On 25 September, Mbappe scored France’s only goal against Turkey in Zidane’s first match before leaving with left-knee pain after 58 minutes. Zidane said it was not safe to continue, while the French Football Federation confirmed a tendon injury. Mbappe then missed France’s next three matches.

Zidane had initially received strong support from Mbappe, who had backed the former Real Madrid great’s appointment. Their mutual respect was expected to strengthen the new project, but the early disagreements have created an immediate test.

There is no reliable evidence that Mbappe is deliberately absent or that the injury is “political”. However, the physical problem and reports of tactical and dressing-room tensions have intensified scrutiny of the relationship between France’s captain and manager.