But while Mbappe has set his sights on chasing down Ronaldo and Messi’s goal outputs in the long term, the France captain will have to wait to add to his tally in the short term after withdrawing from Sunday’s clash with Azerbaijan after sustaining an ankle complaint against Ukraine.
Confirming the decision to send Mbappe back to club side Real as a precaution, The French Football Federation (FFF) said in a statement: “French internationals Manu Kone, Eduardo Camavinga, and Kylian Mbappe have been released back to their clubs.
“The French national team delegation is flying to Baku where they will face Azerbaijan on Sunday at 9:00 PM local time (6:00 PM French time).
“Camavinga, Kone, and Mbappe will not be making the trip.
“Kone received a yellow card against Ukraine and is suspended. Cama was suffering from a muscle strain in his left hamstring.
“Mbappe is still experiencing inflammation in his right ankle, which requires further examination. He will undergo these tests today in Madrid.”