France coach Didier Deschamps and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni have both denied that Real Madrid put any pressure on Kylian Mbappé not to join up with his country for this international break.
Mbappé suffered a thigh injury in Madrid’s 3-2 LaLiga win over Alavés on September 24 and sources told ESPN that he was expected to be out of action for around three weeks.
The star forward was left out of the France squad for their matches against Israel and Belgium, but then made a surprise return for Madrid, featuring as a substitute against Lille in the Champions League and starting against Villarreal on Saturday.
That led to criticism in France that Mbappé — who is the national team’s captain — was prioritising his club over his country.
“There was no request [from Real Madrid]. The decision is mine,” Deschamps told a news conference on Wednesday ahead of France’s match against Israel in Budapest.
Deschamps said he had taken the decision to omit Mbappé “with the information he had” and said that the forward was “not at 100%” in the Villarreal game, in which he was withdrawn after 71 minutes.
“Is that good for the player and for the French team? I don’t think so,” Deschamps said, pointing out that the situation was not unique to Madrid and Mbappé.
Madrid and France teammate Tchouameni — who will wear the captain’s armband for his country against Israel — was also asked about Mbappé’s absence on Wednesday.
“I have spoken about it with Kylian and with Ferland [Mendy] and it has never happened. There are physical problems, that’s the case with Kylian. There is no pressure from the club,” Tchouameni said, adding that he had spoken to Mbappé on Tuesday night.
Deschamps said he had chosen Tchouameni as captain because “he has the profile to assume this responsibility, due to his experience, even if he is still young.”
Tchouameni, 24, made his France debut in October 2021 and has already played for his country at a World Cup and last summer’s Euros.
France’s players have also faced some criticism in the media for the way they have been dressing to join up for international duty.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté arrived at France base Clairefontaine on Monday wearing a hood which completely covered his face.
The former France player Jerome Rothen called the situation “a circus” on RMC Sport, asking “how can Deschamps accept it?”
“You must not get carried away like that over such a small thing,” Barcelona defender Jules Koundé — known for his bold fashion choices — replied on social media on Wednesday.
“Faced with this abundance of kindness, we no longer have a choice. The next meeting, it’s a promise, we’ll all arrive in tracksuits.”