As a passionate and knowledgeable football specialist, I am deeply concerned about the recent performance of the French national team without the presence of Kylian Mbappé on the field. In a friendly match against Germany, Les Bleus suffered a 2-1 defeat, with Mbappé spending the entire game on the bench. This is not the first time that the team has struggled in his absence, having failed to win any of the last four matches where the star player was not a starter.
This trend dates back to June 2022 when France was held to draws by Croatia and Austria in the UEFA Nations League group stage, with Mbappé sidelined due to a knee injury. His absence was felt once again during the recent World Cup in Qatar, where Didier Deschamps chose to keep him on the bench in a match against Tunisia, despite already securing qualification. Despite Mbappé entering the game in the second half, he was unable to make a significant impact.
Against Germany, Mbappé’s absence was due to a muscular discomfort, as confirmed by Deschamps after the match. This concern comes at a critical time as Paris Saint-Germain prepares to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League group stage on September 19th. Before that, they will also play against Nice in the 5th round of Ligue 1. It remains to be seen whether Mbappé will recover in time for these crucial fixtures.
