France captain Kylian Mbappe did not take part in team training and remains “under treatment” before Les Bleus’ Nations League match against Italy, the French coaching staff said. The staff offered no further details about the 27-year-old Real Madrid forward’s physical condition after Wednesday’s training session. Mbappe is back in the France squad after missing the national team’s previous three matches through injury, and his availability is now a central question before Thursday’s game in Milan and Sunday’s fixture against Turkiye in Bordeaux.
Key Takeaways: Mbappe was absent from France training and is listed as under treatment, with no medical update released after Wednesday’s session. The Real Madrid forward has returned to the squad after missing three matches, but his readiness for the Italy clash remains unclear. France top Group A1 with three wins and a draw and are close to securing a quarterfinal place in their final two pool-stage fixtures.
The latest update adds to a longer injury narrative around Mbappe. The report notes that the forward scored the winning goal in Zinedine Zidane’s first match as France coach against Turkiye in September in the Nations League, but had to leave the pitch shortly afterwards because of pain in his left knee. That sequence explains why the coaching staff is monitoring him cautiously. Since then, he has returned to club action and scored in Real Madrid’s 3-0 away win over Valencia in La Liga on Saturday, a reminder of his importance to both club and country.
Mbappe’s club form also underlines why France are managing the situation carefully. He is the second-highest scorer in the Spanish top flight this season with 13 goals, two fewer than Barcelona’s Raphinha. For France, however, the immediate issue is not his scoring record but whether he can train and play without further discomfort. The coaching staff’s brief statement left open the possibility that a decision will be made closer to kickoff, and no formal medical explanation was provided after the midweek session.
France, two-time world champions, are well placed in Group A1 after three wins and a draw in four matches. They face Italy on Thursday in Milan and Turkiye on Sunday in Bordeaux, knowing that their quarterfinal path is already in sight. The main uncertainty is whether Mbappe will feature in those final pool-stage games, and how the coaching staff balances the need for a strong finish with the risk of aggravating a problem that has already interrupted his international schedule.
Source: www.aljazeera.com