Kylian Mbappé has been released from international duty by France amid concerns over an ankle injury—with Real Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga also heading back to the Santiago Bernabéu to undergo tests.
Camavinga, who missed September’s internationals with an ankle injury, failed to train with the rest of the France squad in the build-up to Thursday’s 4–0 win over Ukraine, watching from the sidelines as Mbappé played a starring role to lead Les Bleus to the 2026 World Cup.
With nothing to play for in Sunday’s meeting with Azerbaijan, manager Didier Deschamps has decided to release both Mbappé and Camavinga back to Madrid.
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“Kylian Mbappé is still experiencing inflammation in his right ankle, which requires further examination,” a French statement read.
The same statement diagnosed Camavinga with a hamstring strain, although manager Didier Deschamps played down concerns over his fitness.
“He’ll leave [on Friday] because he had some tests,” Deschamps explained. “There’s no injury, but he has some muscle discomfort in his thigh.”
Kylian Mbappé
An ankle injury sidelined Kylian Mbappé earlier this season. / Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Madrid are back in action after the international break with a trip to Elche on Nov. 23. Tests on both players will soon confirm whether either Mbappé or Camavinga will be able to feature against the mid-table outfit.
Mbappé played the full 90 minutes against Ukraine, scoring two goals and adding another assist. There did not appear to be any major concerns about his fitness, with Madrid fans hopeful his departure from the France squad is a precaution, rather than an aggravation of an ankle injury which sidelined him earlier this season.
Since suffering that initial blow, Mbappé has hardly been afforded any rest. Indeed, he has started all 16 of Madrid’s games across La Liga and the Champions League this season, with his shortest appearance clocking in at the 79 minutes he managed against Valencia earlier this month.
Madrid have evidently had no real concerns about Mbappé’s fitness this season and, according to AS, that sentiment remains. There is confidence the superstar forward, who has 18 goals in 16 games so far this year, is simply being afforded a rest to ensure he does not suffer an actual injury.
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Eduardo Camavinga
The pressure is on Eduardo Camavinga. / Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images
While Mbappé is an undisputed starter for both Madrid and France when fit, the same cannot be said for Camavinga, for whom injuries have been a major concern in recent years, particularly when it comes to the national team.
The 23-year-old has only started three times since the conclusion of Euro 2024 and has now been unable to feature in three of the last four international windows because of various fitness concerns.
Those issues have also plagued Camavinga’s Madrid tenure and have even led to speculation about his future at the club, with a wealth of options also competing for minutes in Xabi Alonso’s midfield.
A recent run of starts has been aided by an injury to Aurelién Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde’s emergency deployment as a right back in the wake of injuries to both Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alonso has transitioned Arda Güler into a deeper midfield role, while there are even suggestions that the manager wants another big-money signing to replace the tempo-setting passing skills boasted by both Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić, both of whom departed the club over the past two summers.
Camavinga is under pressure to prove his worth to both club and country and another spell on the sidelines, should it be necessary, would do his cause no favors.
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