Didier Deschamps to ‘discuss’ France captaincy with Kylian Mbappe
Didier Deschamps to ‘discuss’ France captaincy with Kylian Mbappe. France national team coach Didier Deschamps is set to hold talks with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe over the issue of the France captaincy early next year.
Mbappe was surprisingly left out of Deschamps’ squad for this month’s UEFA Nations League fixtures, having previously missed the October international break after only just returning from injury.
The player however hasn’t missed a Madrid game since September and Deschamps said the November omission was a “one-off” decision. But his absence still brought speculation about the future amid suggestions the role of captain is weighing heavy on him.
Deschamps refused to address the longer term issue of the captaincy last week, stating that he wasn’t going to waste time thinking about something “not on the agenda”.
But it may very well be on the agenda soon, with L’Equipe reporting that Deschamps intends to speak with Mbappe about the armband before the next international break in March. The coach seemingly wants to know if his talisman is still happy or if it is negatively affecting his performances.
Deschamps is not likely to strip Mbappe of the captaincy, with the player set to keep his status if he wants to. But he would accept the player’s decision if he cannot bear the weight any longer.
Mbappe was first handed the France armband following the 2022 World Cup when long-serving skipper Hugo Lloris called time on his international career.
In his absence over the last four games, three different players have led the team as captain. Aurelien Tchouameni was given the nod for both October fixtures, while N’Golo Kante landed the job against Israel last week, and Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate had it for Sunday’s win in Italy.
Tchouameni, who was missing in the latter two games due to injury, and Konate could both be viable long-term contenders to assume the captaincy as long as they are regular starters.
