Kylian Mbappé Ruled Out of France’s Nations League Clash Against Italy

France captain Kylian Mbappé has been officially ruled out of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League showdown against Italy at the San Siro due to minor hamstring discomfort. Manager Zinedine Zidane confirmed the decision during his pre-match press conference, emphasizing that the coaching staff will not risk aggravating the Real Madrid forward's injury.

Mbappé sat out France’s final training session at Clairefontaine on Wednesday after reporting tightness in his hamstring. Despite missing the trip to Milan, the 27-year-old will remain at the national team camp rather than returning to Spain, as Zidane remains hopeful his star attacker can recover in time for Sunday’s final group-stage fixture against Türkiye in Bordeaux.

In response to the setback, Zidane handed a maiden senior international call-up to 20-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Senny Mayulu, promoting him from the Under-21 squad. Mbappé joins a mounting injury list for Les Bleus, who are already without Aurélien Tchouaméni, Marcus Thuram, and Pierre Kalulu.

France currently sits atop Group A1 with 10 points from four matches and can clinch a spot in March’s quarterfinals with a victory over second-placed Italy, even without their talismanic captain leading the attack.