Zidane had been hoping to call on his star across two decisive Nations League clashes against Italy and Turkey. Then came the news: Mbappe had picked up a muscular problem in his hamstring, ruling him out of the Italy fixture according to a report by the newspaper "L'Equipe", with hope remaining that he could feature against Turkey.
Doubts grew once France confirmed the call-up of Paris Saint-Germain's Senny Mayulu to the senior squad for the first time, a move designed to cover the numbers Zidane had lost to injuries, with the captain's own situation still hanging in the balance.
Zidane soon turned those doubts into reality, confirming Mbappe's absence from the clash with the Azzurri.
The question now goes beyond the nature of the injury and the length of the absence. Is Mbappe really nursing a fresh physical problem, or does the timing of the crisis reflect a widening gap between him and his coach, at the start of a project that was supposed to usher in a new golden era for the French star?
An injury at a time that raises questions
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Mbappe's technical and physical condition before joining the national team only deepens the question marks.
He is enjoying a fine spell with Real Madrid, having been officially named the best player in the Spanish league for October after scoring four goals in three matches, including a brace against Sevilla and a decisive strike in the Clasico against Barcelona.
According to official statistics from the Spanish league association, Mbappe ended the month on 11 goals and two assists in the competition. He had also featured in all 12 of Real Madrid's league matches this season up to that point, racking up more than 1,000 minutes.
The start of the dispute: Dembele pushes Mbappe out of his preferred position
The roots of the crisis between Mbappe and Zidane, according to "L'Equipe" and reports in the French and Spanish media, trace back to the new coach's first camp with France, when he made a tactical call the captain never fully accepted.
Zidane deployed Mbappe on the left wing rather than the out-and-out forward role he had grown used to of late, handing Ousmane Dembele the spearhead position in an attempt to exploit the PSG star's ability to attack from deep.
The decision stung Mbappe, who sees himself as an out-and-out forward. That role has become central to his development at Real Madrid, and he wants to be the pivotal figure in France's attacking project.
"L'Equipe" framed the change as something that could be read as a demotion for one player and a promotion for the other, pushing Mbappe wide to make room for Dembele in the middle.
A new account reveals the behind-the-scenes of the confrontation
French programme presenter Cyril Hanouna has added to the mystery around the relationship, revealing details of an alleged tense exchange between the pair inside the France camp over the captain's stance on featuring against Italy.
Speaking on the W9 show "Tout beau, tout neuf", Hanouna claimed Mbappe voiced reservations about his readiness to play, given the injuries to several of the squad, before Zidane hit back firmly. According to his account, the coach told the striker he would not feature in the match, adding: "You'll stay where you are."
Hanouna suggested Zidane will not handle Mbappe with the leniency shown by former coach Didier Deschamps, arguing the new man enforces stricter rules inside the squad. He also alleged tension between the striker and some of his teammates in the dressing room, not just with the manager.
By his account, Zidane left the door open for Mbappe against Turkey, on the condition that he follows instructions and behaves properly inside the camp.
Serious as the account is, it remains claims attributed to the presenter, with no independent confirmation of the alleged dialogue. Still, it adds a fresh dimension to the questions over the Mbappe-Zidane relationship, especially with the crisis landing alongside news of the captain's injury.
The dressing room crisis: is Mbappe no longer unanimously accepted?
More complicated still is that the potential disputes may not involve Zidane alone. Reports in "L'Equipe" pointed to a chill in Mbappe's relationship with some teammates, a shift from the atmosphere the player had known in previous years.
The reports tie part of that mood to the rivalry between Mbappe and Dembele over the 2026 Ballon d'Or and the public statements traded along the way, before the Real star tried to defuse things with personal contact.
Mbappe had told "L'Equipe" on 21 September that there was no dispute with Dembele, calling his teammate a friend and insisting their relationship had not been damaged by the race for the award.
More recent reports, though, described Mbappe feeling isolated in the dressing room and trying to widen his circle with players such as Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram and Michael Olise. Those efforts did not necessarily draw the response he hoped for from the rest of the group.
Precedents with Deschamps: does Mbappe choose his international battles?
You cannot weigh the current doubts without revisiting Mbappe's relationship with former France coach Didier Deschamps, which brought its own spells of controversy over the player's commitment to the international camps.
The flashpoint came in autumn 2024, when Mbappe sat out the October and November camps despite turning out for Real Madrid during that stretch.
In October, Deschamps left him out after his return from a muscular injury, even though he came off the bench against Lille in the Champions League and then started against Villarreal in the Spanish league.
November brought another snub. Deschamps surprised everyone by excluding him again, despite the player's stated desire to join up, which the coach himself confirmed, explaining the call was exceptional and tied to that camp alone.
The episode drew heavy criticism, not least because Mbappe could play for Real Madrid while missing the national team, and some questioned where his priorities lay during the international breaks.
It would be wrong, though, to boil the episode down to an accusation of dodging duty. Deschamps explained his decisions hinged on the player's readiness and the circumstances around him, and Mbappe returned to the squad in March 2025.
That history shows the debate over Mbappe's commitment to the national team is nothing new, and that the player had faced similar questions before, even without evidence he was deliberately staying away.
A previous injury with Zidane: a start that was not ideal
The irony is that Mbappe's relationship with Zidane has already produced a similar medical twist at the very start of the coach's reign.
On 25 September, in Zidane's first match in charge of France against Turkey, Mbappe scored the only goal of a winning night but then limped off citing pain in his left knee, forced out in the 58th minute.
Zidane said afterwards that the player's condition ruled out any risk of carrying on, insisting he had to return to Madrid for treatment, before the French Football Federation confirmed a tendon injury.
Sure enough, Mbappe missed France's next three matches once his exclusion from the rest of the camp was confirmed.
Will Zidane lose his star?
Here lies the irony: Zidane took charge of France with strong backing from Mbappe, who had been among the loudest champions of the idea of the Real Madrid legend leading Les Bleus.
That bond was supposed to be a cornerstone of the new project, given Zidane's historic standing in Mbappe's eyes and the mutual appreciation between them.
The first months, though, have shown that mutual respect does not guarantee tactical harmony, least of all with a player of Mbappe's stature, a man used to being the focal point of the attack in any shirt he wears.
Now Zidane faces an early test. His captain's injury has coincided with reports of tactical disputes, tension between the pair and the Real star's unease in the dressing room.
As Zidane waits on Mbappe's return, the key question lingers. Can the coach rein in his number one star and set the relationship back on course, or will the early friction harden into a war that threatens his France project?
As for the talk of a political injury or Mbappe deliberately staying away, it remains speculation with no reliable evidence behind it. Yet the physical problem landing alongside the declared disputes makes the question marks over this relationship hard to ignore.
