Mbappé Joins France Squad Despite Ankle Scare; Valverde Stays Put for Uruguay

Kylian Mbappé will join up with France for the international break despite suffering an ankle sprain in Real Madrid's game with Villarreal on Saturday, sources have told ESPN, while Federico Valverde will not be travelling with Uruguay.

Mbappé will now be assessed by France's medical staff after picking up the mild sprain in the 3-1 LaLiga win at the Santiago Bernabéu.

They will decide if the national team captain should remain with the France squad, or return to Madrid to continue his recovery at Valdebebas.

Franco Mastantuono also suffered a minor hamstring strain in the Villarreal match, sources said, but the wide player will also join up with Argentina for evaluation.

However, Valverde will stay in Madrid during the international break rather than joining up with Uruguay, thanks to an agreement with national team coach Marcelo Bielsa.

The midfielder has had a difficult week, being forced to release a statement denying he had ever refused to play out of position for Madrid, before being picked at right-back against Villarreal.

Mbappé scored the third goal in the 81st minute of Madrid's 3-1 victory at the Bernabéu, and was then substituted two minutes later after suffering an ankle sprain.

- Rodri pulls out of Spain squad after latest injury setback
- Arsenal's Ødegaard suffers MCL injury, pulls out of Norway squad
- Jarell Quansah: I left Liverpool to play 'hundreds of games'

"Right now he has some discomfort," coach Xabi Alonso said on Saturday. "They'll have to evaluate it with the national team. We hope it isn't serious, but right now we can't say anything."

Mbappé's goal against Villarreal made it nine consecutive games scoring for club and country, for the first time in his career.

France play Azerbaijan on Friday, and then Iceland on October 13.

Meanwhile Mastantuno -- who has had an impressive start to his Madrid career -- is in the Argentina squad to play friendlies against Venezuela and Puerto Rico in the United States.

A number of other Madrid players -- Dean Huijsen, Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Vinícius Júnior, Éder Militão, Rodrygo Goes, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler, Brahim Díaz, and Gonzalo García -- are also away on international duty this week.

Jude Bellingham -- who was left out of the England squad -- Aurélien Tchouaméni, Fran García, Álvaro Carreras, Raúl Asencio, Andriy Lunin, Endrick, and Valverde will stay in Madrid for training at Valdebebas.