Kylian Mbappe Returns To France Squad As Deschamps Confirms He Will Remain Captain

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Kylian Mbappe is back in France's squad for their Nations League quarter-final against Croatia. He missed the last two international windows due to an injury scare and was not included in matches against Israel and Belgium. Despite being fit for club football, he was also left out of the final Nations League Group A2 games. Didier Deschamps confirmed his return for the upcoming two-legged clash with Croatia.

Mbappe, who has scored 48 goals in 86 appearances for France, is just nine goals behind Olivier Giroud, the country's all-time top scorer. Deschamps announced that Mbappe will captain the team in these matches. "I spoke with him, I confirm it, he will be captain. It's not my style to go further on the content of the talks," Deschamps stated during a press conference.

The French squad includes players like Mike Maignan from AC Milan and Brice Samba from Lens. Defenders such as Lucas Digne from Aston Villa and Theo Hernandez from AC Milan are also part of the team. The midfield features Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, while forwards include Marcus Thuram from Inter Milan and Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.

Desire Doue has received his first senior call-up to the national team. Deschamps is considering using Ousmane Dembele centrally due to his impressive form this year. Dembele has scored 21 goals, more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues in 2025, with Mbappe following at 16 goals.

Deschamps is open to deploying Dembele as a centre-forward if it enhances France's attacking fluidity. "Ousmane has always had very high skills in all positions," Deschamps said. He noted that Dembele's confidence and efficiency have improved significantly.

Mbappe prefers playing on the left but enjoys freedom as a central striker. Deschamps emphasised that all attackers like having freedom on the field. "It's not fixed because the goal is to have an offensive animation that is as dangerous as possible for the opponent," he explained.

Injury Concerns Addressed

There were concerns about Mbappe carrying a minor injury after playing 120 minutes in Real Madrid's Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid. However, Deschamps believes Mbappe is ready to play. "I don't have any evidence today; he played 120 minutes," Deschamps mentioned.

He added that sometimes it's better for players not to train if it helps them perform better later. "I hope that the weekend's matches will go well for the selected players," he said, expressing optimism about their fitness levels.

The French coach aims to position players optimally while maintaining unpredictability in attack. "Ideally, we want to put all the players in their best positions," Deschamps remarked, highlighting his strategic approach.