The Real Madrid star and Les Blues captain was left out of Deschamps’ squad for upcoming fixtures against Israel and Italy, with initial reports indicating that the shock exclusion was the decision of the France head coach.
Indeed, during a press conference announcing his roster, Deschamps claimed that the 25-year-old wanted to be a part of the squad, while a report in the French outlet RMC said that Mbappe had thanked his manager for informing him that he would be omitted from the squad in the final of three conversations between the pair before Thursday’s squad announcement.
However, according to Romain Molina, Mbappe no longer wants to play for the two-time World Cup winners in their current form.
The forward is reportedly set to sit out international fixtures until the fissure between himself and Descamps closes.
The Frenchman struggles to fully impose himself in Spain since making his highly-anticipated switch to Los Blancos following years of courtship, despite a strong start.
He has six goals in 10 LaLiga appearances, which ordinarily is not a bad return for a player in their first campaign with a new club.
However, at Real Madrid, expectations are always that much higher – especially when 50 per cent of those goals have come from the penalty spot.
Moreover, surprisingly ineffective showings in two bruising home defeats – against Barcelona in LaLiga and AC Milan in the Champions League – have compounded the opinion that Mbappe is struggling to fully adapt to Real Madrid.
Yet according to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe is not thought to be happy with the football being played by Carlo Ancelotti and Co and their tactical system.
The report further claims that this discontent has been communicated to those close to the France captain.
Mbappe has been played largely as a central striker at the Bernabeu, a position he is known not to be too fond of.
In fairness, though, he is the best option that Ancelotti has going through the middle, with both Vinicius Jnr and Rodrygo better suited out on the flanks, and Jude Bellingham more effective coming into the box from deep.
However, at Paris Saint-Germain Mbappe was always the top dog, the key piece of the puzzle through whom much of the key patterns of play and moments of influence and inspiration flowed.
Meanwhile, in Madrid, he is more like another jewel to an already somewhat gaudy crown.
It is a perfectly routine feature of football that those who join a new club – particularly a club with the stature of Real Madrid – might take time to adapt to no longer being the biggest fish in the pond.
However, Real will be hoping that this current period of frustration – relative frustration, that is, given that he still has six goals in 10 games of course – can pass sooner rather than later.
