Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 7y

Kylian Mbappe not included in France's Under-20 World Cup squad

Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe is the big-name absentee from France's Under-20 World Cup squad after senior team coach Didier Deschamps vetoed his selection.

Mbappe's excellent season with his club earned him a first senior cap in March's 3-1 World Cup qualifying win against Luxembourg.

The 18-year-old, who has scored 14 Ligue 1 goals in as many starts to help push Monaco to the brink of the title, would have been a certainty for the 21-man U20 squad that will head to South Korea for the tournament that starts on May 20.

However, given his elevated status following his performances this term, and the fact that Monaco have their final league game of the season on the day the tournament starts and could still feature in the Champions League final on June 3, Mbappe was left out.

Mbappe will also now be available for selection for Deschamps, whose senior side have a friendly against Paraguay on June 2, face a World Cup qualifier in Sweden on June 9, and another friendly at home to England four days later.

"Didier has decided to keep Kylian, which is logical and normal," France U20 coach Ludovic Batelli said.

Batelli would have loved to have had Mbappe at his disposal after seeing the teenager make incredible progress since scoring five times as part of France's European Under-19 Championship-winning squad last summer.

"I'm not afraid all of that is going too quickly," he said. "He's a great lad. He contributed a lot in the short time he spent with us. He came in March and June. We haven't seen him since.

"When you open a door for him, you don't see him again. He dives through it, and he's off! I'm very happy, very proud to have had him and what has happened to him. If players can get to the top quickly, all the better."

Marseille's teenage midfielder Maxime Lopez was also left out of the U20 squad after his club requested he be allowed to help them finish in the top five in Ligue 1 and qualify for next season's Europa League.

Spanish side Alaves, meanwhile, retained Theo Hernandez so he can play in the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona on May 27.

Hernandez, on loan at Alaves from Atletico Madrid, has attracted interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, with his agent confirming enquiries have been made by both clubs.

"The clubs were within their rights, the stakes are significant," Batelli said. "We didn't want to force it through, even if we tried to press. The players will be the most disappointed of all."

Lyon midfielder Lucas Tousart was included despite his club still having the chance to reach the Europa League final on May 24.

"For Tousart, I take a risk. We'll leave with 20 of us if Lyon qualifies for the Europa League final," Batelli said.

France -- winners of the Under-20 World Cup in 2013 with a side that featured Paul Pogba and Lucas Digne among others -- this year face Vietnam, New Zealand and Honduras, against whom they kick off their group-stage campaign on May 22.

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