Kylian Mbappe has officially returned to the France squad ahead of upcoming Nations League fixtures. The France national team captain missed his country's last three matches through injury and is now fully prepared to lead the line against Italy and Turkey.
Konate praises Mbappe's frame of mind
Real Madrid team-mate Ibrahima Konate said: "He's in a very good frame of mind; you can see that from his recent matches. He's been decisive. He's absolutely vital for us in Madrid."
Mbappe finished second in Ballon d'Or voting
Mbappe finished second to England captain Harry Kane in the Ballon d'Or voting. Konate said: "He's a competitor, so of course not winning the Ballon d'Or when he thought he had a chance is difficult. But the next day he was fully focused in training."
Backlash in China
Mbappe faced a backlash in China after referring to an online meme depicting his face on an image of modern China's founding leader, Mao Zedong, and he was forced to apologise for the remarks.
Several brands immediately ended their commercial partnerships with Mbappe, and Spanish league matches were completely dropped from state broadcaster CCTV's schedule.
