France boss Didier Deschamps has played down the idea of a split between himself and his captain, Kylian Mbappe.
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Deschamps denies riftMbappe had been allowed to restStar spotted in Swedish clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Deschamps denied that there was any animosity between him and Mbappe despite the star being spotted in a Swedish nightclub on the same night as France's clash with Israel. Mbappe had been excluded from the French squad to recover from injury but drew attention with his appearance in the nightclub. Deschamps claims he was not aware Mbappe was away in Sweden.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT DESCHAMPS SAID
Deschamps said: "I don’t follow the news of players who are not here, Kylian is following a programme with Real Madrid, I don’t know if he was away or not. Like any player for his club, he follows a programme. If players have days off, they are free to do what they want."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mbappe was sidelined with a thigh injury after sustaining it in Madrid's 3-2 win over Alaves in La Liga. The forward was expected to be out of action for a couple of weeks, although he returned ahead of schedule to play against Villarreal, and was left out of France's squad. The rumours of a rift come amid reports that Mbappe only wanted to play in 'important' international fixtures as he prioritises his efforts to win the Ballon d'Or.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?
Mbappe will continue to rest during the international break. He'll be hoping to take part when Real Madrid take on Celta Vigo on October 19, before they take on Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League three days later.
