The 18-year-old missed the last two Ligue 1 games as speculation over his future continues, but the coach is ready to welcome him back to the team

Kylian Mbappe could return to the Monaco squad for Sunday’s game against Marseille, Leonardo Jardim has said.

Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are in pursuit of the 18-year-old, with the latter reportedly closing in on a deal.

Monaco 7/5 to beat Marseille -1 handicap

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Mbappe started Monaco’s first Ligue 1 game of the season against Toulouse, but was left on the bench the following week, which Jardim claimed was a “club decision”.

The striker was then dropped from the squad altogether for the clash with Metz, and L’Equipe reported he was excluded from training last week after an altercation with a team-mate. 

However, he could be back into contention to start against Marseille on Sunday, but a decision is yet to be made.

“If the match took place today (Friday), he would be in it,” coach Jardim told reporters. “Everyone has trained well, everyone is in good condition. 

“We’ll decide on Saturday, but normally, yes, if everything goes well for him as for the other players.

“He is an option to play or to stay on the bench.

“He is more capable of helping the team now than he was in the two weeks before. I would be crazy to deprive myself of the best players.”

The Portuguese coach admitted that the ongoing speculation around several of his players has unsettled their preparations for the new season and hopes to see football’s governing bodies intervene to shorten the transfer window.

“[The transfer market] is used to buy players but also to destabilise the clubs. Not just with us. Sometimes there are discussions that go on for three or four weeks without finding an agreement. 

“It doesn’t disrupt me, but I think UEFA and FIFA should limit the transfer window to July. If the transfer period lasts four months of the year, it is too much. 

“We need to be available physically and mentally to work serenely.”

Jardim held off from saying that Mbappe’s return to the squad indicates he will stay beyond the close of the transfer window, and admitted that the club hierarchy could prevent him from fielding the highly-rated France international again.

“It is always the management that decides, and it was the same in all the clubs I worked at before. If the management tells me tomorrow that Falcao can not play, Falcao will not play. 

“It’s management that pays and signs players, it’s like that.”