Kylian Mbappe absent as Zidane confirms his fitness

Kylian Mbappe remains available for France’s opening Nations League match under Zinedine Zidane, despite missing the team’s pre-match media conference. Zidane said the captain had suffered a minor health problem but would be ready for Friday’s visit to Turkey.

Mbappe was absent from Tuesday’s training session after developing flu-like symptoms and spent the second team workout resting in his room. He returned to the pitch the following day, easing concerns over his involvement in the 20:45 fixture. His participation is expected, although his position has not been formally confirmed. He could operate on the left, with Ousmane Dembele centrally and Michael Olise on the right.

Adrien Rabiot joined Zidane at the press conference instead of Mbappe. The coach explained that the usual format requires one player and the manager, and Rabiot had taken the player’s place. Mbappe had been expected to appear after recent attention surrounding his Ballon d’Or comments and his disagreement with Dembele.

The match begins a new period for France following Didier Deschamps’ departure and Zidane’s appointment. Mbappe recently praised Deschamps’ work with the national team and said the squad now had to adapt to a new coach while returning to winning ways. He had also said he was waiting to meet Zidane at Clairefontaine to understand what would be expected of him and the team.