Deschamps explains Mbappe withdrawal ahead of Azerbaijan clash

France head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Kylian Mbappe was excluded from the squad for Sunday’s World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan due to ongoing ankle inflammation insisting he did not want to take any risks with the Real Madrid forward.

The French Football Federation announced earlier that Mbappe had been released from the camp after medical examinations revealed irritation in his right ankle.

Speaking in Saturday’s press conference, Deschamps made the reasoning clear:

"Kylian still suffering from inflammation in the ankle. We decided he should return to Real Madrid where their medical staff will determine the next steps"

He added:

"We preferred not to take any risks just like we did with Camavinga. We won’t gamble with any player. Kylian gone back to his club. We still have 22 player available for tomorrow"..

Les Bleus travel to Baku to face Azerbaijan having already secured qualification by beating Ukraine on Thursday.

France top Group D with 13 point, six clear of both Iceland & Ukraine while Azerbaijan sit bottom with just 1 point.

This's not the first time Mbappe has withdrawn mid camp , he also left the France squad after the October win over Azerbaijan missing the following match against Iceland.

Madrid to assess his condition

Real Madrid will now carry out further checks to determine whether the injury is minor irritation or something requiring additional rest.

Khaled Hegazy |

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Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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