Baker's TakeMbappé declared fit for World Cup semifinal after minor ankle scare
By
Mr Bagel
Kylian Mbappé is set to start for France in Tuesday's World Cup semifinal against Spain, with coach Didier Deschamps confirming the striker is fully recovered from the ankle knock he picked up in the quarterfinal win over Morocco. The confirmation ends a brief period of uncertainty after the captain trained separately from the group on Monday.
According to The Standard, the 27-year-old was "recovering from an ankle problem and trained separately on Monday." Reports from New Straits Times and Free Malaysia Today noted that Mbappé did not complete the full session, having suffered what Deschamps described as a minor injury during France's 2-0 victory over Morocco.
"I took a knock, but I'm fine."
The comment, made by Mbappé himself after the Morocco match, was backed up by Deschamps, who told reporters the team's medical staff had no concerns. Yahoo News New Zealand, meanwhile, reported that Mbappé completed the training session and would be ready to face Spain.
Deschamps went further in his pre-match press conference, saying that Spain should be considered the favorites. As reported by sportstar.thehindu.com, the France boss stated Mbappé was "100%" fit for the clash. The mixed signals on Monday, with some outlets reporting a full session and others noting partial participation, appear to have been resolved by the coach's declaration.
Crypto Briefing noted that Mbappé's fitness could "crucially impact France's World Cup journey, influencing both team dynamics and betting market sentiments." With France seeking back-to-back World Cup titles, having their star forward available removes a major distraction ahead of what promises to be a tense semifinal in Dallas.
The reporting
11 outlets covered this story. Each links to the original.
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