France captain Kylian Mbappe is now fit for the FIFA World Cup semi-finals after missing the match due to a late-time scare with Morocco national football team. Mbappe opened the scoring for France in their 2-0 win, but was called into the game in the 77th minute after he looked as though he had twisted his ankle. The changeover initially caused worry over his availability for the rest of the tournament.
Post-match clarification from the player however, said the decision was precautionary and not medically. The French captain impressed with attacking control, which he held up until he was replaced. He opened the scoring to put the tune on the winning streak and Ousmane Dembele doubled to give France their third consecutive World Cup semi-final berth. Reacting to the issue, Mbappe said he has no structural injury concerns, and that he is 100 per cent fit and in sync with the team’s title drive.
He also talked about the competitiveness of the team, saying that no matter what happens, performance has to be up to scratch until they win us the trophy. His replacement, Jean-Philippe Mateta, was the one who handled the final minutes, as it was a tactic first, not a trick. This has evened the odds in favor of the French from a tournament point of view as their attacking options have been sorted out.
Mbappe continues to be a key figure in their attacking system, especially when they get into the final third of the pitch and in transition. France has no injury timeouts and goes into a crucial semi final match already with all their attacking power intact. The change will help to maintain the continuity of the squad and will get rid of one major uncertainty, allowing France to be as competitive as possible as they progress deeper into the competition.
