The Real Madrid star was not included for Les Bleus' games in October and November but coach Didier Deschamps has declared that the forward will represent his country once again for the two-legged quarter-final against Croatia.

The manager told L'Equipe: "Of course he'll be there. Why wouldn't he be? Yes, for very specific reasons [he was not here] but he'll be there if nothing happens to him between now and then.

"He's very attached to the French team, even if he's had a complicated personal period. He's back to full fitness, and you can see that in his game, and in his head too."

Mbappe has voiced concern about the packed football schedule leading to injuries and Deschamps cited the forward's acclimatisation to life at Real Madrid as one of the reasons for his absence in recent matches.

He said: "Few holidays, little preparation, six complicated months in Paris, back pain, a broken nose at the Euro - these things obviously have athletic and psychological consequences, not to mention his adjustment to Madrid.

"It took some time, but it fell into place because he did everything necessary."

Deschamps is set to leave his role as France boss after the 2026 World Cup and believes that Zinedine Zidane would be a good candidate to replace him in the hotseat.

The coach said: "Zizou is a very strong candidate, a natural one and I would add, an expected one. After that, it's up to him and the chairman.

"There's a lot of respect between us. We last saw each other in the summer of 2023, and we plan to meet again next summer."