Mbappe's Struggles Pile Pressure on Alonso as Real Madrid Crisis Deepens
Kylian Mbappé has been withdrawn from France's national team duties due to ankle injury concerns—with his Real Madrid colleague Eduardo Camavinga also returning to the Santiago Bernabéu for medical evaluations.
Camavinga, who was absent from September's international fixtures with an ankle problem, was unable to participate in training with the France squad before Thursday's commanding 4–0 victory over Ukraine, observing from the bench as Mbappé delivered an outstanding performance to guide Les Bleus toward the 2026 World Cup.
With Sunday's fixture against Azerbaijan carrying no competitive significance, coach Didier Deschamps has opted to send both Mbappé and Camavinga back to Madrid.
"Kylian Mbappé continues to experience swelling in his right ankle, necessitating additional medical assessment," stated an official French announcement.
The identical statement identified Camavinga as having a hamstring issue, though coach Didier Deschamps minimized fitness worries regarding the midfielder.
"He will depart [on Friday] due to required examinations," Deschamps clarified. "There's no actual injury, but he's experiencing some muscular discomfort in his thigh."
Will Kylian Mbappé Play for Real Madrid vs. Elche?
Madrid return to competitive action following the international pause with a journey to face Elche on Nov. 23. Medical assessments on both players will shortly determine whether Mbappé or Camavinga can participate against the mid-tier opposition.
Mbappé completed the entire 90-minute match against Ukraine, netting twice and providing an additional assist. No significant fitness issues were apparent, leaving Madrid supporters optimistic that his withdrawal from the France roster represents preventive measures rather than worsening of an ankle problem that previously kept him out earlier this campaign.
Following that original setback, Mbappé has received minimal recovery time. He has indeed featured in all 16 of Madrid's matches spanning La Liga and Champions League competition this season, with his briefest outing lasting 79 minutes against Valencia this month.
Madrid have clearly maintained confidence in Mbappé's physical condition throughout this season and, per AS reports, this outlook persists. There's optimism that the star striker, who has netted 18 times in 16 appearances this year, is simply being given recuperation time to prevent genuine injury.
Camavinga Fighting for Real Madrid Future
While Mbappé remains an automatic selection for both Madrid and France when healthy, Camavinga faces a different situation, as injuries have become a persistent challenge in recent seasons, especially regarding international appearances.
The 23-year-old has made just three starts since Euro 2024 concluded and has now missed three of the previous four international periods due to various physical problems.
These complications have also affected Camavinga's Madrid career and have sparked discussions about his club future, with numerous alternatives also vying for playing time in Xabi Alonso's midfield setup.
A recent sequence of starts has benefited from Aurelién Tchouaméni's injury and Federico Valverde's temporary shift to right-back following injuries to both Dani Carvajal and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alonso has moved Arda Güler into a deeper midfield position, while reports suggest the manager desires another significant acquisition to replace the rhythm-controlling distribution abilities possessed by both Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić, who both left the club during the past two transfer windows.
Camavinga faces pressure to demonstrate his value to both club and country, and another period of unavailability, if required, would not benefit his situation.