Mbappé Undergoing Treatment for Minor Ankle Injury, Deschamps Confirms

France head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé is undergoing treatment for a “small niggle” in his right ankle after joining the national team for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The France captain sustained the knock late in Real Madrid’s 3–1 La Liga win over Villarreal on Saturday, raising initial concerns about his fitness for the qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland.

“I spoke with Kylian — he had a small niggle, but it’s not serious, otherwise he wouldn’t be here today,” Deschamps told reporters at the French team’s Clairefontaine training base near Paris. “We’ll take the time with the medical staff to assess the situation and see how it develops.”

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté also underwent medical tests after picking up an injury in the Reds’ 2–1 defeat to Chelsea. Both players received treatment on Monday and are expected to continue recovery work on Tuesday, according to the national team’s staff.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola has been released from the squad following a right hamstring injury. The French Football Federation (FFF) said Barcola had been carrying a “chronic injury” since PSG’s Champions League match against Atalanta on September 17.

However, PSG publicly rejected the FFF’s statement, claiming it did not align with their own medical assessments.
“The information in this statement does not correspond to the medical data provided by PSG’s medical teams,” the club said in a social media post, clarifying that Barcola’s recent medical report “made no mention of any chronic injury.”

Barcola featured for 60 minutes in PSG’s draw against Lille on Sunday and showed no visible signs of discomfort. If sidelined, he would join an already crowded PSG injury list including Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Marquinhos, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Fabián Ruiz, and João Neves.

The situation comes amid renewed tension between PSG and the French national team, following earlier disputes over player injuries sustained during international duty.

France currently lead Group D with two wins from two matches and will host Azerbaijan at Parc des Princes on Friday before travelling to Iceland three days later.

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