France coach Didier Deschamps says Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe will be back for their Nations League quarterfinal against Croatia in March.
After missing several games, Deschamps says Mbappe will also wear captain’s armband.
He said today at his France media conference: “I think Kylian has managed the transition well after the retirements of Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane. He has taken on the role of captain with Antoine Griezmann as his assistant. The events of the autumn do not change his status as a leader, nor what he is capable of doing.
“He has the right to go through a difficult period. I have always said that France is stronger with Mbappé on the pitch. The media court has issued its verdict without him even being heard by the Swedish justice system. He has been attacked for weeks, but Kylian knows that, for better or for worse, people will always talk about him. However, on certain issues, the situation is much more complex than it seem.”
Deschamps also returned to the much-discussed omissions: “Before the list of players called up, the day before, there was the possibility that he would play in Lille in the Champions League. In the end, he came on for half an hour, not yet in top condition. After a discussion with the medical staff, it was decided to let him recover fully. When I drew up my list, I chose not to call him up. It was not a sanction, but a decision based on his physical form and the evaluations made together with him.”
Deschamps finally downplayed the controversy over October, adding: “Kylian depends on Real Madrid’s program, which gave him five days of rest. During that time he could do what he wanted. Whether he was in Stockholm or elsewhere, he would not have gone unnoticed.
“Yes, it was during a France match, but that did not stop him from maintaining contact with me and his teammates. The situation was exaggerated. In the end, it was not even a storm in a teacup, but just a few drops of rain. If he was not listened to by the authorities, it is because he had nothing to do with it. It was an excessive media fuss.”
