No Kylian Mbappe! Real Madrid star left out of France squad for UEFA Nations League ties

The Real Madrid superstar has been left out of Didier Deschamps' latest France squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches. Mbappe will remain in the Spanish capital in order to rest, having just overcome a thigh injury that forced him to miss the recent draw with Atletico Madrid.

Mbappe recovered ahead of schedule to travel to France for Real Madrid's Champions League game against Lille on Wednesday, but he wasn't considered ready to start. The 25-year-old came off the bench with half an hour to go but wasn't able to prevent the reigning European champions from falling to a surprise 1-0 defeat.

Chelsea duo Christopher Nkunku and Wesley Fofana are among the names in the France squad, with Nkunku returning to the setup for the first time since June 2023.

France squad

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham United), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Lens).

Defenders: Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (AC Milan), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio), Manu Kone (Borussia Monchengladbach), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG).

Forwards: Bradley Barcola (PSG), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan).

France made a mixed start to the 2024-25 Nations League campaign, losing to Italy before beating Belgium. Les Bleus will visit Israel and Belgium in the international break.