Didier Deschamps questioned the suggestion that Kylian Mbappe would not feature in France's next squad, as he confirmed the Real Madrid forward will return to the fold.

Mbappe did not feature in France's squads in either October or November.

There was speculation of bad blood between Deschamps and Mbappe, who had captained Les Bleus.

Yet the 26-year-old will be back for France's Nations League fixtures against Croatia next month, fitness permitting.

"Of course he'll be there. Why wouldn't he be? For very specific reasons [he was not included]," Deschamps told L'Equipe.

"But he'll be there if nothing happens to him between now and then.

"He's very attached to the French team, even if he's had a complicated personal period. He's back to full fitness, and you can see that in his game, and in his head too."

Deschamps also insisted Mbappe missing the last international windows would not impact his ability to lead the team.

"It took some time, but it fell into place because he did everything necessary," Deschamps said.

"There have always been internal discussions, individual or collective, and [the previous international break] does not call into question his leadership.

"I have no reason today to say that he will not be captain in March. But I will discuss with him, as we often do."

After struggling in his first few months at Madrid, Mbappe has been in superb form since the turn of the year, scoring 10 goals across all competitions so far in 2025.