London [UK], November 15: Kylian Mbappe is back in training as Zinedine Zidane hopes to unleash France's all-time record goalscorer in their crunch Nations League clash with Turkey.
Zidane tasted defeat for the first time since succeeding Didier Deschamps as France head coach as Les Bleus squandered a one-goal lead to lose 3-1 to Italy at San Siro on Thursday night.
Mbappe was absent in Milan, rested as a precaution after feeling pain in training in the build-up, and he was missed as France squandered a succession of opportunities before Italy gained the upper hand.
A first setback of their Group A1 campaign left France second, level on points with Italy but only one ahead of Belgium, with all three teams vying for a top-two finish to reach the quarter-finals.
Zidane is therefore hopeful he will be able to call upon the Real Madrid forward in Bordeaux on Sunday night against a Turkey side who have failed to collect a point in the group after five straight losses.
With Mbappe back in practice alongside his team-mates, Zidane is hopeful his strategy of keeping his captain fresh for their last group match will reap rewards.
Speaking after the Italy match, Zidane told a press conference: "I hope he will be ready on Sunday.
"This was the plan, as he was supposed to be given rest because he was suffering from some pain, while retaining the possibility of his participation.
"Of course (Mbappe being available) changes everything. We'd rather have him with us than not have him. He'll be with us tomorrow and then you'll see how we play."
Michael Olise opened the scoring early on against Italy - his fifth goal in four games in this season's Nations League - but the Bayern Munich wide man faded thereafter.
However, Zidane preferred to focus on Olise's contributions to the campaign as a whole rather than what he delivered against Italy.
Zidane said: "You can't always play the same way for 90 minutes. He has scored quite a few goals for us across the last two international breaks, and he has been very good. That's what I'm focusing on.
"We were all a little less effective in the second half. And when the team isn't playing as well, it affects individual performances." Chelsea's Malo Gusto was also singled out for criticism by French media, with the full-back given a torrid time down Italy's left flank by Nicolo Cambiaghi and conceding a second-half penalty.
But Zidane was phlegmatic about Gusto's display, adding: "He was called up, he played his part, he conceded the penalty, these things happen. I don't think we can say that he had a bad game."
Source: Qatar Tribune
