Kylian Mbappé, France's star player, was not called up by Didier Deschamps for UEFA Nations League matchdays 5 and 6 against Israel and Italy. This marks the second consecutive squad omission for the Real Madrid forward.

This absence is only the second time in Mbappé's international career that he’s missed four straight games with the French national team, the last time being from September to October 2019.

What’s Mbappé doing while away from France’s squad?

The forward isn’t letting time slip by—he's training hard alongside his Real Madrid teammates who were also left out of their national teams. In fact, Real Madrid shared images of Mbappé participating in the team’s practice sessions.

Why wasn’t Mbappé called up?

Despite being a high-profile addition for Real Madrid and fully fit, there are no physical issues sidelining him, a situation that’s stirred considerable debate across the football world.

Speculation is swirling around a possible reason tied to his recent performances at Real Madrid, even though he’s scored eight goals in 16 appearances.

Which forwards did Didier Deschamps call up for Israel and Italy?

For these matches, the French squad includes Randal Kolo Muani, Marcus Thuram, and Christopher Nkunku as central strikers. For the wing positions, Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembélé, and Michael Olise were selected.