Although he exited France’s 2-0 quarterfinal defeat of Morocco last Thursday with an ankle injury, Kylian Mbappe is fully fit for Les Bleus’ Tuesday semifinal against Spain in Arlington, Texas, France coach Didier Deschamps told reporters on Monday.
“Kylian feels good,” Deschamps said. “He is at 100%, we cannot go above.”
Mbappe, who has scored eight goals in six World Cup matches, is atop the Golden Boot leaderboard. He’s level on goals with Argentina’s Lionel Messi but one assist ahead (three to two).
Mbappe’s 11 goal contributions are the most in a World Cup since Gerd Muller had 13 for West Germany in 1970.
He scored the opening goal vs. Morocco and assisted on the second but was subbed off in the 76th minute after appearing to sustain an injury. He was seen with a bag of ice on his right ankle while seated in the bench area after leaving the match.
While he appeared to be limited in the media-viewing period of Monday’s practice, Deschamps made it clear he’s not worried.
“He trained. He is allowed to do 10 minutes in one drill instead of 15,” Deschamps said.
France are seeking to become the first team since Brazil from 1994-2002 to reach three straight World Cup Finals.
–Field Level Media
