Mbappe not happy, says France boss Deschamps
Didier Deschamps says Kylian Mbappe is "going through a period that is not the happiest of his career", which is why he was not included in France's UEFA Nations League squad for this international window.
Les Bleus were frustrated on Friday (AEDT) as it was held to a 0-0 draw by Israel in front of a record-worst attendance at Stade de France.
Despite the disjointed performance, France booked its place in the quarter-final of the UEFA Nations League with a game to spare.
However, post-match discussions came back around to Mbappe's absence and Deschamps's decision to leave him out of the squad.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 15 appearances since joining Real Madrid, but he has hit the back of the net just once in his past six outings.
Deschamps reiterated that he believed leaving his captain at home was the best decision for the player during this international break.
"He's not here, so I'll tell you what I already said. Leave him alone," Deschamps said. "I said what I had to say.
"Sometimes it's good not to say too much. There's no sanction. It's factual. He's in a complicated situation, I'm behind him.
"He's going through a period that's not the happiest of his career. Despite everything, he wanted to come. I think it's better for him at the moment. Everyone has the right to have a complicated period.
"There's the physical aspect, the psychological aspect too. There are constant interpretations, whether I speak or I don't speak. So, I'm careful to weigh my words. Either I say something, or I say nothing. I didn't say anything but I'm not going to get into debates."
France dominated against Israel, having 24 shots, eight of which were on target, as it created 2.22 expected goals.
It also had 72 touches in the opposition box, compared to the visitors' two, and 94 final third entries, but struggled to find a way through a resolute Israel side.
Deschamps was frustrated by the lack of goals in particular and expects to make changes for France's final UEFA Nations League group stage match against Italy on Monday (AEDT).
"I can't be satisfied with what we produced. We should have won. We're capable of doing better," Deschamps added.
"We could have done more against an opponent that was very compact and wasted a lot of time. We had the chances to win, but we weren't efficient enough. There was much more energy in the second half, but we still couldn't score.
"I need to take stock. There will definitely be some changes.
"I'll wait until the final training session on Saturday. Playing three days later is never easy, and there's fatigue, which is normal and not an excuse, but the players' bodies are under strain."
