Mbappé Sidelined, France Faces a Fresh Camp Crisis
17 October 2025
Injury-struck France camp in October
During October, the France national team faced a flood of issues as Didier Deschamps reshaped the squad amid injuries.
The team collected four points from a 3-0 win over Azerbaijan at Parc des Princes and a 2-2 draw with Iceland in Reykjavik, as part of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Deschamps was forced to overhaul the lineup, recalling veteran forward Floran Tovan of Lens and bringing Benjamin Pavard back into the frame, to compensate for Ibrahimah Konaté's injury.
After the first match against Azerbaijan, Deschamps also ruled out captain Kylian Mbappé, who re-aggravated ankle pain.
The French federation clashed with Paris Saint‑Germain when explaining Pavard's absence, saying the young winger was hampered by a chronic thigh issue and had pushed himself in recent matches, a stance PSG publicly challenged.
Lequipe highlighted another potential blow: midfielder Adrien Rabiot sustained a minor injury before France's match against Iceland, with a later report noting the injury was more serious than first thought, eventually requiring an MRI in Italy that showed a longer layoff could follow.
Milan will monitor the recovery over the next ten days, which also clouds Rabiot's availability for the next international window in November, a crucial stage for the D e9ux to reach the 2026 World Cup.
Lequipe also reported Rabiot's absence from Milan's fixtures vs Fiorentina and later Atalanta in October.
World Cup 2026 – Europe Group 4 Standings and the Road Ahead
France currently sit atop Group 4 with 10 points after beating Ukraine 2-0, beating Iceland 2-1, and routing Azerbaijan 3-0, with a draw against Iceland in the return fixture.
Ukraine lie second with seven points, Iceland third on three, and Azerbaijan bottom with a single point.
The squad will wrap up the group with pivotal home clashes against Ukraine at Parc des Princes and a trip to Azerbaijan on 13 and 16 November, respectively.
Ukraine, the nearest challenger, will play France next and then host Iceland, as the race intensifies to secure direct qualification to the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Kingsley Coman’s remarks have stirred debate in France, with some calling them mature, while others see them as an early exit. Either way, Coman isn’t chasing a ceremonial World Cup cameo and is seeking real impact, especially after a reduced role in Euro 2024.
Historically, Deschamps has guided France to Euro 2016 runners-up at home, UEFA Nations League 2021 winner, plus bronze in the current edition, and World Cup medals across the years. France have claimed silver at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and 2022 in Qatar, bronze in 1958 and 1986, and four decades of World Cup campaigns with a solid record of wins, draws, and goals scored.
France’s all-time World Cup record: 73 matches, 39 wins, 14 draws, 20 losses, 136 goals scored, 85 conceded. A history that cements France among football’s giants.
Punchline 1: If injuries were goals, France would be world champions of rehab. Punchline 2: Reminders from the physio’s clipboard could soon become the most-used playbook—watch this space for “Injury Substitution” in the next matchday notes.
