France will be without its captain
France captain Kylian Mbappé is unavailable for the UEFA Nations League match against Italy on Thursday 12 November. Coach Zinedine Zidane confirmed on Wednesday that the forward had felt discomfort and that the team would avoid unnecessary risk.
Why the coaching staff is cautious
Mbappé had missed recent France matches following a September knee problem. The latest decision was taken after a fresh fitness concern during this international camp, leaving the attack without one of its most important players against Italy.
What happens next
Zidane expressed hope that Mbappé could be available for Sunday’s meeting with Turkey, but a return depends on his condition. His absence for the Italy fixture is confirmed; his involvement in the next match should not be treated as guaranteed.
Sources
Read the original announcement or reporting. Information checked on 12 November 2026.
Photo credit
Real archive photograph of Kylian Mbappé (not a photo of this news event): Bryan Berlin / WikiPortraits / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. The image may be proportionally resized and cropped by the WordPress theme. No AI-generated image has been used.
