Mbappé Out with Flu as Zidane's France Camp Faces Challenge

The mood at Clairefontaine dipped on Tuesday. Out on the pitches, cones were laid out, drills were sharp, voices carried in the autumn air. Inside, the captain stayed away.

Kylian Mbappé, the face of this new France era, was unable to take part in the main training session after being hit by flu, according to official team reports. Instead of leading the group, the 27-year-old was restricted to indoor work, his involvement reduced to light activity while the rest of the squad went through a full session outside.

For Zidane, it is an awkward interruption at a delicate moment.

This camp is his first major examination since taking over Les Bleus after the 2026 World Cup, the first real chance to impose his ideas on a squad loaded with talent and expectation. Having Mbappé — the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals — watching on from indoors is not part of the ideal script.

Yet the work on the grass did not stop.

The remaining players pushed through their drills, adapting to the rhythms and demands of their new coach. Patterns of play were rehearsed, pressing triggers tested, combinations refined. The absence of their talisman forced Zidane and his staff to tweak tactical plans on the fly, a reminder of how quickly things can change even in camp.

And the schedule offers no breathing space.

Upcoming Fixtures

France are staring at a relentless run over the next fortnight. It starts with a tough trip to Turkey on Friday, September 25, a fixture that rarely comes without intensity. Three days later, they head to Belgium. Then comes Italy on home soil on October 2, before another clash with Belgium on October 5.

Four games in ten days. Four different tests. One medical question.

At Clairefontaine, the focus has turned to that question: when will Mbappé be ready to return fully? The flu is described as a minor, routine seasonal illness, and the medical staff expect him back in full training once his symptoms clear. For now, they are managing his workload, trying to protect him while keeping him as close as possible to match sharpness.

Time, though, is tight.

As the squad prepare to leave Clairefontaine and step into a demanding block of fixtures, Zidane faces a key call. Does he throw his captain straight back into the starting XI in Turkey if he’s cleared, or hold him back with Belgium and Italy in mind?

The answer will shape not just the opening night of this new chapter, but the tone of Zidane’s first real test in charge of Les Bleus.