Deschamps says Mbappe condition ´not ideal´ as France captain aggravates ankle injury

Didier Deschamps admitted Kylian Mbappe’s condition is “not ideal” after the France captain aggravated an existing ankle injury during a 3-0 victory over Azerbaijan.

Mbappe scored a sensational solo goal to break the deadlock in Friday’s World Cup qualifier at the Parc des Princes, after the hosts had been frustrated until first-half stoppage time.

That strike extended Mbappe’s personal-best scoring streak to 10 games for club and country, while he is now four goals off Olivier Giroud’s all-time France record of 57.

Mbappe also supplied an assist for Adrien Rabiot in the second half, but he was withdrawn in the 83rd minute after trapping his right ankle in a challenge involving Abdulla Xaybulayev.

Although his replacement Florian Thauvin scored just 70 seconds after coming on, Mbappe’s injury represents a major concern for France, particularly as he also limped out of Real Madrid’s 3-1 win over Villarreal last week.

Speaking to TF1 afterwards, Deschamps confirmed Mbappe had hurt the same ankle as he did six days ago, though he could not offer an update on the severity of the issue.

“He took a hit on the same ankle. The pain decreases when he is resting,” Deschamps said. “In football matches, inevitably there is contact. We’ll see about the injury later. He has discomfort and that is not ideal for him.”

Mbappe alone fired off 10 shots on Friday, with France attempting 33 and getting nine on target, generating 2.19 expected goals (xG). Azerbaijan only had one shot, with an xG value of 0.04.

Deschamps was unhappy with France’s slow start to the game, though he credited Azerbaijan for their solid defensive work.

“It was always going to be a complicated match. We didn’t have quick movement of the ball, they were fresh and defended in a low block,” Deschamps said.