Tuesday 28 November 2017 19:57, UK
Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala admits his lack of playing time makes it "impossible" for him to be part of France’s World Cup squad.
Mangala has not started a Premier League game this season and last played for his country in the 5-2 Euro 2106 quarter-final win over Iceland.
The centre-back has been included in Didier Deschamps' last two major tournament squads but Mangala now fears he will not be involved in Russia next year.
He told Sky Sports News: "The World Cup is still on my mind. You have to be realistic, at the moment it's impossible for me to go to the World Cup.
"In two, three or four months' time, we'll see what's going to happen. The season is long; you never know what's going to happen but today it's complicated.
"I'm going to fight until the end and we'll see what happens."
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With John Stones injured and Vincent Kompany's fitness issues, Mangala could feature for Man City in the weeks ahead, starting with Wednesday's home game against Southampton.
In his pre-match news conference, manager Pep Guardiola gave his backing to the defender, who is yet to start a league game under him having spent last season on loan at Valencia.
Mangala, a £32m signing from Porto in the summer of 2014, is understanding of the situation he finds himself in.
He said: "I don't think it's very difficult to be patient because I'm very realistic about what is football, what it means to be involved in a big squad.
"I'm at Manchester City and the team is playing very well, so I have to be patient. You've just got to try and be ready because you never know when you're going to play so at training you have to do your best because when the opportunity comes you're going to be ready."
Guardiola did not rule out a move for the 26-year-old in January and Mangala admits he nearly left City in the last transfer window after being linked with moves to Crystal Palace and West Brom.
"All summer I was close to leaving," he said.
"There were so many proposals to leave but finally I stayed. In football you never know: 'today, Mangala is close to going there' then the next day that changes but finally I stayed.
"I'm not sad. Football is what it is. I'm very happy to be here and I've learned so many things with the manager and with my team-mates.
"I'm not playing, I want to play but that is football."
