Didier Deschamps’ list for the Nations League matches against Italy and Belgium has been released. Several newcomers (Olise, Koné) have been called up for the first time. However, no surprises: captain Kylian Mbappé is indeed there. A presence that is likely to get people talking in Madrid. RMC Sport indicated just before the DD press conference that the Casa Blanca would have liked to see Mbappé rest.
To explain such motivation, which may seem surprising given the status of leader of Mbappé’s Blues, the Merengues point to the overloaded calendar of this 2024/2025 season with an extended Champions League and the Club World Cup at the end of the season. As expected, the national coach has not really taken into account the Madrid requests. But he has conceded that the players’ rest periods are starting to become too short.
Deschamps not worried about Mbappé
“I don’t know where you’re getting your information from. I can’t confirm or deny. I spoke with Kylian. What I can say is that there’s still this problem with the calendar, and it’s not getting any better with this new Champions League format and a reduced preparation phase. These breaks are becoming more complicated. And then there’s the Club World Cup. The season is going to be very long. Club coaches are forced to think about it and act accordingly.”he said, before discussing his captain’s start to the season at Real Madrid.
“He only played three games with his new club, different players and a different organisation. Even though there are great players around him, there are automatisms to find. It doesn’t happen like that. I found him with legs and juice. He has always scored goals and will score many more. There are high expectations there. There is everything for things to go well, and even very well.” An optimism that will please the person concerned.
