Former Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé has stirred up controversy in France after being left out of Didier Deschamps’ squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium.
Although Mbappé is currently recovering from a thigh injury, which could explain his absence, that’s not the whole story. He was included in the squad for the recent match against Villarreal and even started that game.
This decision has drawn considerable criticism, especially since Mbappé, as captain, is expected to be available whenever he’s fit.
With the FIFA international window now underway, Deschamps spoke about the player’s absence and noted that he has to respect the club’s input when deciding on who to call up.
“Kylian draws a lot of attention,” Deschamps said (h/t L’Equipe). “Club and national team interests don’t always align, and it’s important to remember that it’s the club, not the federation, that employs him.”
It will be interesting to see how the Real Madrid star frames the situation. It’ll also be interesting to find out if the media goes along with it since Mbappé is the captain and should be held to a higher standard.
