France confirm that Kylian Mbappe has withdrawn from the squad due to an ankle injury, and Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has three potential replacements for the attacker in El Clasico.
Real Madrid attacker Kylian Mbappe has been forced to withdraw from the France squad with the ankle injury he sustained against Azerbaijan, Les Bleus have confirmed.
The 26-year-old was on target in Friday's 3-0 World Cup 2026 Qualifying victory in Group D, but he was prematurely forced off in the 83rd minute after exacerbating a previous ankle problem.
Didier Deschamps could not provide a firm update after the game, but he confirmed that the issue was to the same ankle Mbappe had been experiencing discomfort in prior to the match.
Mbappe was risked from the first whistle against Azerbaijan despite not being fully fit, and the former Paris Saint-Germain star has now been sent back to Madrid to undergo further assessment.
In a statement, France confirmed that Mbappe would not be available for their upcoming match against Iceland, and Deschamps will not be calling up a replacement for the 26-year-old.
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe withdraws from France squad with ankle injury
"Kylian Mbappe suffered a blow to his right ankle and was forced to leave the match against Azerbaijan (3-0) on Friday evening in Paris at the Parc des Princes," France said.
"The French captain, who suffered a right ankle injury on Friday evening during the match against Azerbaijan, will not be making the trip to Reykjavik.
"Upon the French delegation's return to Clairefontaine (Yvelines), the French team captain spoke with Didier Deschamps. He will not be able to play Monday, October 13 (8:45 p.m., on TF1) in Reykjavik against Iceland.
"The national coach has confirmed his withdrawal. Kylian Mbappé has been released to his club and will not be replaced."
The severity of Mbappe's new issue is yet to be ascertained, but the striker is already a doubt for Real's upcoming games against Getafe in La Liga on October 19, and Juventus in the Champions League on October 22.
The visit of the Italian giants is followed by El Clasico on October 26, and there is currently no guarantee that Mbappe will be fit for that blockbuster clash with Barcelona either.
How can Real Madrid, France replace injured Kylian Mbappe?
France are hardly short of offensive options to fill in for Mbappe against Iceland on Monday, as Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta, AC Milan's Christopher Nkunku and Lens' Florian Thauvin can all partner Hugo Ekitike up top.
However, the 26-year-old is arguably irreplaceable in Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid system, having produced a terrific 14 goals from his first 10 Blancos appearances of the 2025-26 campaign, starting all of them.
If Mbappe - who has now scored in 10 straight appearances for club and country - is ruled out for any length of time, either Endrick or Club World Cup hero Gonzalo Garcia should be trusted to lead the line, although both are still lacking top-level experience.
Alternatively, Alonso could trial the out-of-favour Rodrygo in the centre-forward spot, a position where the Brazilian featured almost exclusively in the 2023-24 season.
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Ben Knapton