Kylian Mbappé has hit back at the criticism aimed at him over the past few hours, and he's done it his own way.
The France star dominated the headlines yesterday, on the eve of his country's UEFA Nations League meeting with Italy.
It began with "L'Équipe" publishing reports that the relationship between the France captain and his new coach, Zinedine Zidane, might not be as rosy as it appeared.
Then came the next blow. The French Football Federation announced Mbappé's absence from training.
Initial reports suggested the Real Madrid forward was "receiving treatment", before it emerged he had suffered a strain in the knee tendons. The controversy ended with confirmation that the French number 10 would miss tonight's match, though he would not be dropped from the national team camp.
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Things escalated when news broke that Mbappé wanted to return to Madrid, with his private plane waiting for him. Zidane rejected the move.
Mbappé didn't wait long to answer the rumours. Today, Thursday, he posted a picture of himself on Instagram boarding a plane in the official France kit, bound for Italy.
No words accompanied the picture. He simply added the Italian flag and a tag showing his presence there with the France delegation.
Controversy over the Zidane and Mbappé relationship
Mbappé's absence from France training before the Italy clash was more than just a passing medical update. The timing landed at a highly sensitive moment inside the Les Bleus camp, after French press reports revealed tension between the captain and his coach, rooted in disagreements over his position on the pitch and how he is deployed, as well as a less than ideal atmosphere in the dressing room.
The tension traces back to Zidane's first camp in charge, when he decided to play Mbappé on the left wing and relied on Ousmane Dembélé through the centre of the attack. Many read that decision as a shift in the Madrid star's standing within the system, especially as he has recently preferred the out-and-out striker role.
Zidane had hoped to call on his star for the two decisive clashes against Italy and Turkey. Instead came news of a muscular problem in the hamstring, ruling Mbappé out against Italy, with hope remaining that he would be fit for the Turkey game.
France's qualification calculations
France head into the Italy clash, scheduled for Thursday evening in Milan, with more than one objective. This top-of-the-table meeting is not just a battle between the leaders of Group One in the UEFA Nations League. It carries qualification to the quarter-finals, with a chance to finish the group stage on top before the final round.
Zidane's side hold a clear edge in the group's calculations, with 10 points from four matches against Italy's 7 and Belgium's 6. Turkey sit bottom without a single point.
The first leg between France and Italy finished 1-1, a match that saw an error from Lucas Da Cunha gift Italy their equaliser. This time France arrive with their eyes on securing their quarter-final place before thinking about settling top spot.
Fate is in their own hands. A draw against Italy is enough to guarantee a top-two finish and a place in the quarter-finals, without waiting for the result of the final round, according to a report by France's RMC network.
That matters given the direct competition between Italy and Belgium for the second ticket. The pair meet next Sunday in Brussels, which means a single point from the San Siro would be enough for France to avoid any complicated qualification maths.
