Zinedine Zidane has denied any rift with Kylian Mbappé after the France captain’s absence against Italy raised questions about his relationship with the new head coach. Zidane confirmed that the Real Madrid forward is fit to face Turkey in Bordeaux on Sunday evening in France’s final Nations League group match.
“My relationship with Kylian is that of a coach and his player, and things are going well,” Zidane told his press conference. “I can’t stop people talking, but what’s being said is nonsense. It’s irritating to hear what’s been relayed to me.”
Before the Italy match, L’Équipe reported that relations between the pair had cooled since the September international break. The newspaper said Mbappé was unhappy about being moved to the left wing to accommodate Ousmane Dembélé as the centre-forward.
Mbappé played on the left in Zidane’s first game in charge, a 1–0 win over Turkey in September. He left the camp after that match with a knee injury and missed the next three Nations League fixtures.
Hamstring pain kept the France captain out again on Thursday as Les Bleus lost 3–1 to Italy at San Siro, their first defeat under Zidane. Mbappé returned to full training on Friday.
“He’ll be with us tomorrow, and having Kylian there changes everything, of course,” Zidane said. Asked where Mbappé would play against Turkey, he replied, “You’ll see how we play.”
France go into the final round level on 10 points with group leaders Italy and one point ahead of Belgium. A draw against Turkey would secure a quarter-final place. To finish top, France must win in Bordeaux and hope Italy drop points against Belgium.
