Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti of Real Madrid commented that he has not spoken and does not plan to speak with French forward Kylian Mbappé about his absence from the French national team for the second consecutive international window, while also stating that Mbappé will continue playing “as a forward” and not on the left wing, as he does not want to take Vinícius’ place, who “makes a difference” in that position.

“I haven’t spoken to him about this issue and I’m not going to. I don’t have the right to judge the decisions of the French coach; he made his choice, and we must respect that. Mbappé is highly motivated, down like everyone else, but motivated to overcome this moment,” Ancelotti said in a press conference.

“He is training well. He’s going through a tough time, like each of us. And each one of us has to think of it as an opportunity; you have to be smart to overcome it quickly, with more focus and attitude. This is how we face the problems that come, and the problem he’s going through is the same as all of us, which is that we are not able to show our best version,” he added, referring to Mbappé, who has scored eight goals in 15 matches.

“I’m convinced he will overcome this difficult moment; I’m talking about Mbappé, but the same goes for Vinícius, Rodrygo, Bellingham, and myself… I have no problem saying it’s a tough time. It’s normal for this to happen in football, a sport where defeat is part of it. We’re not used to it because everything has gone perfectly for a long time, we accept it, and we can’t give up; our arms need to be higher than ever. This is a strong, healthy, motivated group, at the best club in the world. It’s the best place to be and to overcome difficult times. We are all in the same boat, and we are more united than ever,” he added.

Not Changing Vinícius Position

Additionally, Ancelotti confirmed he would not change Vinícius' position to accommodate Mbappé on the left wing, instead of playing as a central forward.

“I didn’t want to change the position of the player who makes the difference. Mbappé has the qualities to play as a forward. I don’t want to change that,” he concluded.