Kylian Mbappé Misses France Training Session Ahead of Zidane's Debut

Kylian Mbappé sat out France’s training session on Tuesday, raising an early concern just days before Zinédine Zidane’s competitive debut in the dugout.

The France captain was the only member of the 23-man squad missing from the session at Clairefontaine, according to L’Équipe. He had taken part on Monday, when Zidane led Les Bleus for the first time on the training pitch, but did not emerge with the group a day later.

Mbappé is understood to be dealing with cold-like symptoms and remained at the Château de Clairefontaine while the rest of the squad worked outside in preparation for Friday night’s UEFA Nations League opener against Turkiye. No serious issue has been reported, but his absence was notable on a day when Zidane continued to shape his plans.

The Real Madrid forward will be desperate to shake off the illness in time for that match, the first step in a demanding international window. France are also due to face Belgium twice and Italy during this break, a run that will test Zidane’s ideas and the depth of his squad.

Mbappé arrives in this camp as the undisputed leader of the side and as a record-breaker. During last summer’s FIFA World Cup, he overtook Olivier Giroud to become France’s all-time leading scorer, underlining his status at the heart of the project.

RMC Sport reports that Zidane is considering a positional tweak for his captain: shifting Mbappé back to the left side of the attack. That switch would free up the central role for Ousmane Dembélé, offering a different look to France’s front line.

For now, though, the focus is simple: get Mbappé fit, get him back on the grass, and see how Zidane’s first France XI takes shape with their star man in place.