FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Knockout Phase Playoff - First Leg - Manchester City v Real Madrid - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - February 11, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after the match REUTERS/Scott Heppell/ File Photo
(Reuters) - Captain Kylian Mbappe will return to the French national team in March for their Nations League quarter-final matches against Croatia, head coach Didier Deschamps said on Friday.
The 26-year-old striker, who has 86 caps for France, was not included in the squads for their Nations League fixtures in October and November after signing with Real Madrid in July.
"Of course he'll be there. Why wouldn't he be? Yes, for very specific reasons (he was not here) But he'll be there if nothing happens to him between now and then," said in an interview with French sports newspaper L'Equipe.
"He's very attached to the French team, even if he's had a complicated personal period. He's back to full fitness, and you can see that in his game, and in his head too."
The soccer calendar has become a growing concern for players, including Mbappe, with the increasing number of fixtures potentially leading to injuries. However, Mbappe said in December he is committed to France despite his previous absences.
The coach cited Mbappe's period of adaption with Real as one of the reasons for not calling him up during the international break.
"Few holidays, little preparation, six complicated months in Paris, back pain, a broken nose at the Euro - these things obviously have athletic and psychological consequences, not to mention his adjustment to Madrid," Deschamps added.
"It took some time, but it fell into place because he did everything necessary."
Asked if Mbappe's absences will impact his leadership role, Deschamps said, "There have always been internal discussions, individual or collective ... And (the previous international break) does not call into question his leadership."
"I have no reason today to say that he will not be captain in March. But I will discuss with him, as we often do."
The French soccer federation (FFF) told Reuters last month that Deschamps, who is France's longest serving national team coach, will not seek to renew his contract which expires in 2026.
FFF President Philippe Diallo said it was too soon to name a replacement and Deschamps said he would love Zinedine Zidane to replace him.
"Zizou is a very strong candidate, a natural one and I would add, an expected one. After that, it's up to him and the chairman," he said.
"There's a lot of respect between us. We last saw each other in the summer of 2023, and we plan to meet again next summer."
(This story has been refiled to remove a superfluous 'his,' in paragraph 6)
(Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; editing by David Evans)
