Kylian Mbappé dominated media attention yesterday, on the eve of France's UEFA Nations League match against Italy.
L'Équipe set the tone this morning, reporting that the relationship between the France captain and his new coach, Zinedine Zidane, may not be as perfect as it appeared.
Then came word from the French Football Federation that Mbappé had sat out training.
First the Real Madrid striker was said to be "receiving treatment", before reports emerged that he had suffered a hamstring strain. The saga ended with confirmation that the France number 10 would miss tonight's match, though he stays with the national team camp.
The media storm forced Zidane to field questions at his press conference about the fitness of his player and the rumours of a rift.
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Zidane said: "Yes, Kylian will not be available tomorrow. He felt some pain, and we will not take any risks. It is unfortunate to lose players, but this is part of the game. I hope it is not serious and that he returns on Sunday. For Kylian, it is just a minor discomfort, and he should be able to play on Sunday."
He continued: "I believe he is in high spirits; the proof of that is that he has stayed with us. He is not happy; he wanted to play tomorrow. When we feel there is something wrong, we do not take risks. The season is long, and this is what I do when there is a minor problem."
Mbappé thought he would return to Madrid
Spanish journalist Marcos Benito told the programme "El Chiringuito" a different story. According to him, Mbappé stayed with France but not entirely by choice.
Asked by presenter Josep Pedrerol why he was surprised the player had not returned to Madrid, Benito shot back that the France captain had thought about leaving too, just as his teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni had done.
He said: "He also thought that (laughs).. He is worried. He had reached an agreement with Real Madrid's medical staff stipulating that he would return to Spain at the slightest physical problem."
He added: "The surprise was in seeing Zidane keep him despite his injury to monitor his condition before Sunday's match (against Turkey). His private jet was ready in Paris to take him to Madrid. He will have to wait, because in the end he travelled to Milan with the rest of the team. All of this is causing tension in their relationship."
Controversy over the relationship between Zidane and Mbappé
Mbappé's absence from training ahead of the clash with Italy was no passing medical note. The timing hit at a raw moment inside the camp, with French press reports revealing tension between captain and coach over his position on the pitch, the way he is being deployed, and a less than ideal dressing-room mood.
The roots of that tension trace back to Zidane's first camp in charge. He chose to play Mbappé on the left wing and build the attack through Ousmane Dembélé in the centre, a call read as a shift in the Madrid star's standing within the system, especially given his recent preference to play as an out-and-out striker.
Zidane had hoped to call on his star for both decisive clashes against Italy and Turkey. Instead came news of a muscular problem in the hamstring, ruling him out against Italy. The hope now is that he recovers in time to face Turkey.
