REAL MADRID
“Mbappé does as he pleases”
Fofana and Guendouzi, teammates of the Real Madrid player, came to his defence at the France training camp.
Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana, alongside Mattéo Guendouzi, handled media duties at France’s training camp. With Kylian Mbappé absent and enjoying a trip to Sweden during France’s match against Israel, attention shifted to Clairefontaine. Addressing the situation involving the Real Madrid striker, Fofana remarked, “It’s not a topic for discussion.”
“Everyone is free to use their time as they wish. Here, it wasn’t a matter for debate, and I haven’t heard anything about it. He’s a grown man, a great professional who manages his career as he sees fit,” Fofana continued. “I understand why it’s being discussed, as he’s the best French player and always in the spotlight. But for more details, you should ask Mbappé himself.”
Mbappé ‘not at 100%’
Lazio midfielder Guendouzi also defended Mbappé: “We have no doubts about Kylian. He’s committed to us and the national team. Of course, we were all disappointed he couldn’t help us in these two games, but there are reasons—he’s not at 100%. We need to stop talking about it.”
“He’s entitled to his time off, and he does as he pleases. There’s no question about Kylian’s loyalty to Les Bleus. We spoke to him before the game, and he sent his support. His commitment to the national team should never be in doubt,” added Guendouzi.
France’s next football game will be on Monday, October 14, 2024, when they face Belgium in the UEFA Nations League. The match will be held at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, and it is scheduled to kick off at 12:45 PM (ET). Mbappé is not part of the squad, after controversially being left out by Didier Deschamps. The player is unfit to feature, despite playing for Real Madrid days before the call-up.
“I spoke with Kylian about the situation, which is still uncertain after coming on as a substitute on Wednesday. He has a match on Saturday and there are questions. He has a problem which is not serious but he needs treatment to recover properly. I am not here to take risks. That is why Kylian is not here”, Deschamps said.
As for Real Madrid, their next match is on Saturday, October 19, 2024, against Celta Vigo in La Liga, with kickoff at 1:00 PM ET. After that, they play Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, also at 1:00 PM ET.