Mbappe Ruled Out of France Match Against Italy With Hamstring Problem

Updated 20:45 UTC: Zidane confirms Mbappe is out against Italy

The doubt is settled. France coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed on Wednesday evening that Kylian Mbappe will not play against Italy at San Siro on Thursday and will not be on the bench, after the captain felt pain in his hamstring and missed the final training session. "He will miss tomorrow, he felt a little pain and we won't take any risk," Zidane said, in comments reported by AFP. "It's just a minor issue." Zidane said France hope Mbappe will be available for Sunday's closing group match against Turkiye in Bordeaux. France lead Nations League Group A1 on 10 points, ahead of Italy on seven and Belgium on six.

Kylian Mbappe did not train with France on Wednesday, one day before the Nations League match against Italy at San Siro, and the France captain is a major doubt for the game in Milan. The Real Madrid forward stayed under treatment while the rest of the squad held its final session. No official statement on his condition had come from the French federation in the reports published on Wednesday.

Reports disagree on the cause

L'Equipe reported that Mbappe missed the session because of a hamstring issue and is very unlikely to feature against Italy (Football Italia, reporting L'Equipe). Foot Mercato reported that he did not take part in the final session and was under treatment. Marca, citing federation sources, reported that the absence was not due to an injury. Fanpage reported that Mbappe had been doing individual work, and the Spanish press said the federation had denied a possible injury. The accounts conflict, so his status is a doubt, not a confirmed absence. No final decision on the lineup for Milan had been taken in the reports.

Cover called up for a camp already short of players

Zinedine Zidane has called up Paris Saint-Germain forward Senny Mayulu from the Under-21 side, according to L'Equipe. France were already missing senior players before Mbappe's absence. Juventus defender Pierre Kalulu and Inter striker Marcus Thuram are both out injured. Aurelien Tchouameni has left the camp with a right groin problem. The federation said he had felt discomfort since arriving at Clairefontaine on Monday, and it announced the decision in these words: "Given his medical history and after consulting Real Madrid's doctors, the France coaching staff, in agreement with the player, decided on Tuesday night to return him to his club." Tuesday night was November 10. SAPO reported that Kumbedi and Kroupi have been called into the senior squad for the first time, as cover for the two.

Top spot on the line at San Siro

The game pairs the top two teams in Nations League Group A. France lead the group with 10 points, from three wins and a draw in four matches, three points ahead of Italy, with two rounds left. A win for Italy might all but guarantee the Azzurri a place in the quarter-finals. Kickoff at San Siro is at 19:45 GMT on Thursday, November 12. France then close the group against Turkiye in Bordeaux on Sunday, November 15, the game Mbappe hopes to be fit for.

A return from injury under a new coach

Mbappe is back in the France squad after missing the last three matches through injury. In September, in Zidane's first match as coach, he scored the winning goal against Turkiye and left the pitch soon after with pain in his left knee. L'Equipe has described his relationship with Zidane as not so harmonious. The newspaper traced the friction to that September break, when Zidane moved Mbappe to the left flank for Ousmane Dembele. It reported that Zidane wants to repair the relationship, and Zidane has told a press conference that Mbappe will be fielded in his preferred role as a centre forward. Mbappe has scored 13 league goals for Real Madrid this season, second only to Raphinha of Barcelona. Reports in Spain said staff at Real Madrid expect him not to force a return to fitness, and that the club wants no risks taken with Mbappe or Tchouameni.