Injuries or sabotage? Mbappé, Yamal, Palmer and other stars avoiding international duty
Star footballers are increasingly missing international fixtures through injuries that sometimes arrive at a remarkably convenient moment. Bad luck, overload or a reluctance to take risks for the Nations League? We look at the biggest stories, scandals and inside reports.
Every international break becomes a real headache for national team coaches. As soon as another round of club fixtures ends, reports of injured players begin arriving from all over Europe.
Kylian Mbappé regularly scores for Real Madrid but cannot help France. Lamine Yamal is in superb form for Barcelona, then suddenly needs treatment just before travelling to join his national team. Virgil van Dijk plays a full match for Liverpool, only to be deemed unfit for the Netherlands.
And that is just the tip of the iceberg. In November 2026, many other star players are also missing—or at risk of missing—international fixtures for various reasons.
Of course, injuries are part and parcel of football. But when the same stars repeatedly find themselves unavailable for their national teams, an awkward question arises: are footballers starting to choose which matches are worth risking their health for?
Lamine Yamal: the procedure that angered the Spanish federation
Perhaps the biggest club-versus-country row in recent years erupted in November 2025.
Lamine Yamal had been called up by Spain for their final World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey. On November 9, he was still playing for Barcelona against Celta. The very next day, the situation took an unexpected turn.
On November 10—the day the national team’s camp began—Yamal underwent an invasive radiofrequency procedure to treat pain in the pubic and groin area.
Most notably, Spain’s medical staff had not been informed in advance. At least, that was the claim made by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
In its official statement, the federation even specified the times: it learned of the treatment at 13:47 and did not receive a detailed medical report until 22:40. The report recommended seven to ten days of rest.
Spain had no choice but to withdraw Yamal from the squad.
Head coach Luis de la Fuente made no secret of his surprise, saying he had never encountered a situation like it before.
The obvious question is: why was the procedure carried out on the very day the international break began, rather than earlier?
Perhaps that was simply how the medical circumstances played out. But for those who believe players are boycotting international fixtures, this was an almost perfect example.
The tension between Barcelona and the Spanish federation had already been building. In September 2025, Hansi Flick criticised the national team’s coaching staff over the workload placed on Yamal, who was playing through groin problems. The player also missed international fixtures in October.
And now it is November 2026: another break, another problem.
This time, Yamal felt discomfort in his right knee after Barcelona’s match against Atlético. Tests revealed inflammation and fluid build-up in the joint. As a result, he stayed with his club and will miss the game against Czechia on November 12, and possibly the match against England on November 15 as well.
The injury may well be genuine. But after last year’s scandal, any absence from Spain’s squad for Yamal is bound to raise suspicion.
Kylian Mbappé: the captain who reportedly wanted to play only the big matches
While Yamal found himself at the centre of a dispute between two medical teams, Kylian Mbappé’s story looks much more like a political drama.
In autumn 2024, the France captain was left out of the squad for two consecutive international breaks involving Nations League fixtures.
In October, the official reason was that he was recovering from a muscle injury. But an odd situation emerged: Mbappé had already returned to action for Real Madrid, playing in the Champions League against Lille before starting against Villarreal.
He was fit to play for Madrid, but not to travel for France’s matches against Israel and Belgium.
Further questions were raised by a report from French outlet Foot Mercato. According to its journalists, Mbappé had reportedly warned back in September that he did not want to take part in the next international camp.
Moreover, the outlet claimed that the forward wanted to focus only on the national team’s most important matches, rather than spend energy on every Nations League fixture.
The motive? Reportedly, a desire to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or by minimising his injury risk and saving as much energy as possible for the club season.
If the report was accurate, the situation was highly unusual. This was no fringe player—it was the captain of France.
In November 2024, Mbappé was left out again, despite continuing to play for Real Madrid.
Journalist Romain Molina then offered an even more explosive version of events. According to him, the player reportedly did not want to return to the national team because of deteriorating relations with Didier Deschamps and was even considering retiring from international football.
Deschamps himself said the opposite: Mbappé wanted to join up, and the decision not to call up the forward was made by the coach personally. The insiders’ claims, then, remained unconfirmed.
Two years have passed, but the story is repeating itself.
In September 2026, Mbappé injured his knee during France’s match against Turkey and missed the national team’s next three games. He then returned to Real Madrid and continued scoring regularly.
In November, he was called up again, this time by Zinedine Zidane. But on November 11, it emerged that the forward would miss the match against Italy because of discomfort in his hamstring.
Zidane stressed that he did not want to risk the captain’s health, but hoped to see him on the pitch against Turkey on November 15. Mbappé, meanwhile, remained with the national team.
Cole Palmer: has Thomas Tuchel run out of patience?
Cole Palmer’s story shows that repeatedly missing international duty can have consequences—even for one of the country’s most gifted players.
The England international struggled with fitness problems for an extended period. Injuries forced him to miss several international camps, while his lack of form and fitness contributed to Thomas Tuchel's decision to leave him out of the 2026 World Cup squad.
In September, Palmer was given another chance by Thomas Tuchel. He was in good form for Chelsea, but once again pulled out of the England squad because of physical problems.
The timing looked particularly awkward because the midfielder had played the full 90 minutes for his club against Brentford immediately before the international break.
Tuchel publicly voiced his frustration. The coach stressed that the player was missing too many opportunities to make his mark for the national team.
Chelsea insisted that genuine physical problems were the reason.
But November brought an even more intriguing twist. Palmer was now fit, in good form and available to play. Yet Tuchel left him out of the squad for the Nations League matches against Croatia and Spain.
This time, it was not a medical issue. The coach openly explained that he had favoured players who had attended previous camps and earned his trust.
Virgil van Dijk: 90 minutes for Liverpool, but none for the Netherlands?
On November 8, Virgil van Dijk played the full match in the Premier League against Crystal Palace.
The very next day, the Royal Dutch Football Association announced that the defender would miss the Nations League matches against Greece and Germany.
The official explanation was that the player had finished the club round in less than ideal physical condition. The federation did not disclose the precise nature of the problem.
Of course, a player can finish a 90-minute match with a minor injury that only becomes apparent after the final whistle. Van Dijk is no longer a young player, either, and the workload on centre-backs at top clubs remains enormous.
Still, to the average fan, the picture looks odd: on Sunday the captain is fit enough to play a full match for his club, but by Monday he is unable to travel to join his national team.
Of course, there is no evidence that van Dijk is deliberately avoiding international duty. But cases like this only fuel the wider debate.
Aurélien Tchouaméni: another Madrid player leaves the France squad
As French fans debated Mbappé’s condition, news about Aurélien Tchouaméni also emerged from the national team camp.
On November 10, 2026, it was reported that the Real Madrid midfielder had left the squad because of an issue with his adductor muscles that arose during training.
The player returned to Madrid to continue his treatment under the supervision of the club’s doctors. He will miss the matches against Italy and Turkey.
Notably, Tchouaméni also had fitness problems during the previous international break.
Real Madrid, then, are dealing with issues involving two of their French stars at the same time—Mbappé and Tchouaméni.
Does this mean Madrid are deliberately trying to protect their players from the Nations League? There is no answer to that question yet, but the suspicions are growing.
Still, it is easy to see why a club fighting for the league title and the Champions League might be wary of putting extra demands on its key players.
Marcus Thuram: scores for Inter, then heads back for treatment
And another Frenchman.
On November 8, Marcus Thuram helped Inter beat Como with a goal, but the forward also sustained a hamstring injury. Discomfort prevented him from training fully with the France squad.
On November 10, after medical examinations, the national team announced that the player would return to his club.
One detail is especially important here: the decision was made by the national team’s medical staff in agreement with Inter and the player himself.
Zidane called up Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi to replace Thuram.
At first glance, this case seems less suspicious than the ones mentioned above. But fans on Twitter disagree:
“And there goes the Inter exodus,” one user wrote.
Rafael Leão: Ronaldo’s successor will miss November
Portugal have also lost one of their most exciting attacking players.
Rafael Leão, who plays for Turkish club Galatasaray, was injured in a Turkish league match against Amedspor on November 7, 2026.
The Portuguese forward managed to score before leaving the pitch with pain in his right thigh.
The following day, the club announced the MRI results: the player had suffered a serious hamstring strain with signs of bleeding.
This is no longer a story about mysterious discomfort that cannot be verified.
After the Portugal medical staff assessed the player, it emerged that Leão would miss the Nations League matches against Denmark and Wales.
At first, the player himself did not think the injury was particularly serious. But the test results proved far worse than he had expected.
On the face of it, the situation seems clear.
But Ronaldo fans on social media were particularly unhappy because Leão is set to inherit his number 7 shirt for Portugal. They do not believe the injury is genuine and insist that Rafa is not worthy of wearing the number 7.
Is that really the case? It is a rhetorical question.
Bonus: Ronaldo, Courtois, Sabitzer and Lunin—when injuries are not the issue
There is another category of footballers, too. They miss international fixtures not because of mysterious muscle injuries, but because of disputes with coaches, a personal decision to take a break or simply because they were not called up. Sometimes these stories turn into full-blown scandals.
Thibaut Courtois: the Nations League? No, thanks
In September 2026, the Real Madrid goalkeeper openly announced that he would not play for Belgium throughout the 2026/27 Nations League campaign.
The reason was his desire to focus on his fitness and club football. He discussed the decision with the new coach, Mark van Bommel.
Courtois has not retired from international football and plans to return for the Euro 2028 qualifiers.
One intriguing detail: van Bommel did not guarantee the goalkeeper a starting place when he returns.
Marcel Sabitzer: a voluntary break from international duty
In September 2026, the Borussia Dortmund midfielder agreed with Ralf Rangnick that he would not play for Austria until the end of the year.
After Euro 2024, the Club World Cup and the 2026 World Cup, Sabitzer said the past few seasons had been extremely demanding and that he needed a rest.
A return to the national team remains possible ahead of the Euro 2028 qualifiers.
There were no controversial medical certificates—the player simply explained openly that he had decided to conserve his energy for club football.
Andriy Lunin: 17 months without playing for Ukraine and rumours of a row
The Ukrainian Real Madrid goalkeeper has not played for his national team since June 2025. In November 2026, Andrea Maldera left Lunin out of the squad again, even though the goalkeeper had produced a strong performance in El Clásico shortly beforehand.
The official reason was a lack of regular playing time.
But back in autumn 2025, Ukrainian journalists reported that Lunin allegedly did not want to join the national team without assurances of a starting place.
The goalkeeper firmly denied the rumours, calling them lies. The Ukrainian said he had never refused to represent his country and was ready to help the team regardless of his status.
Unlike Courtois or Sabitzer, Lunin did not announce a voluntary break. But his situation shows how even being left out of a squad can spark major speculation.
Cristiano Ronaldo: walking out on Portugal, a row with Jesus and a shock retirement
And finally, the biggest scandal of autumn 2026. After Jorge Jesus left the 41-year-old forward on the bench for the match against Norway, the Portuguese star was furious and left the national team camp without permission ahead of the game against Denmark.
Ronaldo later published a lengthy statement accusing Jesus of breaking agreements over his role. According to the forward, the coach had failed to keep his word twice. Cristiano even demanded a public explanation, effectively laying down his own terms for resolving the dispute.
The Portuguese federation handed the star a 30-day suspension and a fine.
Most remarkably, at the start of October Ronaldo had insisted he had no plans to retire from international football. Yet on November 5, he unexpectedly announced his permanent departure from the national team.
That brought a 23-year international career to an end, with 234 appearances and 146 goals. Instead of a fitting farewell, it turned into a full-blown football soap opera.
Sabotage or the new reality of football?
The stories of Mbappé and Yamal leave the most room for suspicion.
In the Frenchman’s case, there were specific reports that he was reluctant to play in less important matches. In the Spaniard’s case, there was an open conflict between his club and the federation that even spilled into official statements.
Palmer’s case shows that repeatedly missing international camps can cost a player his coach’s trust. Van Dijk, Tchouaméni and Thuram show just how strange injuries picked up immediately after club matches can look to fans.
And the stories of Ronaldo, Courtois and Sabitzer show that players are increasingly willing to discuss openly the terms on which they will represent their national teams—even to the point of voluntarily turning down call-ups.
It is impossible to deny that this is becoming an issue.
It feels as though international fixtures are gradually ceasing to be an automatic priority for every star in modern football. Especially when the match is not a World Cup or a European Championship, but just another round of the Nations League.
Modern football has also become a non-stop marathon. League fixtures, domestic cups, European competitions, international tournaments and expanded club competitions mean the world’s best players have virtually no time for proper recovery.
Perhaps we are witnessing the emergence of a new unwritten system, in which clubs, players and their medical teams are taking an increasingly active role in deciding which risks are worth taking—and which are best avoided.
In that case, the main question is no longer whether Mbappé’s thigh really hurts or Yamal’s knee is bothering him.
The key question is this: would they be willing to play through the same discomfort if El Clásico or a Champions League final awaited them the next day?
The answer to that question might explain far more than dozens of medical reports.
Steven Perez
Dailysports's expert
