Mbappe returns to France squad as Deschamps confirms he will keep captaincy

Kylian Mbappe has returned to France's squad for their Nations League quarter-final tie against Croatia, having missed the last two international windows.

Mbappe was omitted by Didier Deschamps for victories over Israel and Belgium in October due to an injury scare, then was left out again for their final matches in Nations League Group A2 the following month, despite being fit to play club football.

Deschamps said that latter exclusion was a "one-off" and the Real Madrid forward is back in the fold for this month's two-legged clash with Croatia.

Mbappe – who has 48 goals in 86 appearances for France, putting him nine adrift of their all-time leading marksman Olivier Giroud – will also captain his country in those games.

"I spoke with him, I confirm it, he will be captain. It's not my style to go further on the content of the talks," Deschamps said at a press conference on Thursday.

Deschamps was then asked about suggestions Mbappe was carrying a minor injury after playing 120 minutes in Madrid's Champions League penalty shoot-out victory over Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, but he believes the 26-year-old is raring to go.

"I don't have any evidence today, he played 120 minutes. Sometimes I also prefer that a player doesn't train if it allows him to play afterwards," Deschamps said.

"I hope that the weekend's matches will go well for the selected players. I don't have any evidence about him having a problem."

Deschamps has also handed Desire Doue his first senior call-up, and he is considering the possibility of using his Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Ousmane Dembele centrally.

Dembele has been in stunning form since the turn of the year, with his 21 goals, at least six more than any other player from Europe's top five leagues has managed in all competitions in 2025 (Mbappe is second with 16). 

He has played 43% of his minutes as a centre-forward for PSG this season, and Deschamps is open to using him there if it allows France's attack to be fluid.

"Ousmane has always had very high skills in all positions. Now it is smoother because of the efforts he made," he said. "He is confident, and he has a very high efficiency.

"Mbappe likes the left side, but he is a central striker who likes to have freedom. All my attackers like to have freedom. 

"It's not fixed because the goal is to have an offensive animation that is as dangerous as possible for the opponent. 

"Ideally, we want to put all the players in their best positions, but it's not fixed. We also have to be as unpredictable as possible."

France squad: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Lens), Lucas Chevalier (Lille); Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Benjamin Pavard (Inter), Jules Kounde (Barcelona); Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain), Manu Kone (Roma); Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain) Randal Kolo Muani (Juventus), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain).