In a surprising development, Kylian Mbappé has been left out of the French national team squad for their upcoming Nations League matches against Israel and Italy, scheduled for November 14 and 17, respectively. The omission of the Real Madrid forward is particularly striking as many expected him to be included. Instead, the list announced by Didier Deschamps today features several other key players, including rising Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, who has impressed in the Champions League this season.

Mbappé’s absence from the international break in October had already raised eyebrows, as he had agreed with Deschamps not to participate. His exclusion at that time sparked significant backlash in France, especially since Mbappé had played two club matches before the announcement: one against Lille in the Champions League and another against Villarreal in La Liga. 

This marks the fourth consecutive French match that Mbappé will miss, with all of these being Nations League fixtures. The decision to leave him out comes after a difficult period for the player. In September, following France’s 1-3 loss to Italy, Mbappé reportedly had a public falling out with goalkeeper Mike Maignan and was said to have privately criticized Deschamps’ tactical approach. 

While his absence has been controversial, Deschamps has selected other prominent players like Eduardo Camavinga and Jules Koundé, who are part of the squad for the upcoming fixtures. However, the ongoing exclusion of Mbappé raises questions about his future role with the French team, especially after a series of tensions within the camp.