Already deprived of the recently retired Antoine Griezmann, the France team will play its next two matches without its star Kylian Mbappé, back from injury but spared and absent from the list given Thursday by Didier Deschamps.
The Blues will have neither their captain nor their vice-captain against Israel and Belgium in the League of Nations, on October 10 and 14.
“I’m not here to take risks”, explained the coach to justify the absence of “Kyky”, who nevertheless played thirty minutes – and lost – with Real Madrid in Lille (1-0), Wednesday evening .
Mbappé is affected in the left thigh, “a not serious problem but requiring treatment to be able to recover properly”, explained “DD”.
His absence could spare Mbappé physically as much as Real diplomatically, the coach having already said that the Nations League matches did not have the importance in his eyes of qualifying for the World Cup.
But Deschamps has “not the slightest doubt about the involvement of Kylian”, who had seemed more distant than usual in Blue, in September.
There was a lot of talk about the absentees during the press conference presenting the list, notably Griezmann who hung up the Blue jersey after 137 matches, 44 goals and a World Cup (2018).
“It is not a decision taken by Antoine on a whim, but after careful and mature reflection,” said Deschamps.
The technician spoke of “physical but also psychological fatigue”, “priorities which are not the same at 33 and a half years old”, and confided that he had not tried to retain the one who was, he recalled, his “pet”.
We will have to play “differently, it’s not possible to replace him position by position, that’s for sure,” commented Deschamps. “He had a great influence through his technique and his volume of play, his ability to repeat efforts… You don’t necessarily have to change the system, but in the register where he was, don’t look for the equivalent”, with a player “who does things differently”.
He did not try to hold him back, Griezmann “had made his decision. Otherwise he would be there,” assured “Dédé”. “All the same, it’s funny,” he concluded on the subject.
N’Golo Kanté, captain during the victory against Belgium (2-0) in September, is not there either, affected in the adductors according to Deschamps, who will be able to wear the armband for the Blues?
“With the absences of Kylian and Antoine, that leaves room,” admitted Deschamps, who wants to keep the news about the future wearer of the armband, in Budapest against Israel.
Lacking experience, Deschamps however did not want to “rush” the return of Adrien Rabiot, who only played the last half hour of Strasbourg-Marseille (1-0) this season.
“I have spoken with him several times, he still needs time.” Before this half hour against Strasbourg, “his last match was on July 9” and the Euro semi-final lost against Spain (2-1).
“It is wiser for him to have a few more weeks to perfect his condition. If all goes well, he will be available for November,” he stressed.
The coach also did not recall Benjamin Pavard, already absent in September. He preferred to summon again Wesley Fofana, who had to give up at the last moment last month.
Another Chelsea player returns, and from further away: Christopher Nkunku numerically replaces Mbappé in the list of attackers. He has not played in Blue since France-Greece (1-0) in June 2023, but Deschamps found him “full of energy”.
Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier, brilliant against Real, is not yet in the game. “He’s getting closer and closer. I didn’t need yesterday’s match to know that Lucas has great potential. He will come at one point or another.”
