Mbappé's Fitness Raises Alarms in France
Kylian Mbappé, forward for Real Madrid and the French national team, has raised alarms in the French camp as his physical condition is not ideal just days before the start of the 2024 European Championship. The team led by Didier Deschamps will debut against Austria next Monday, June 17.
The striker is experiencing back discomfort, in addition to a knee knock he suffered in the friendly match against Luxembourg on June 5. The coaching staff knows that Mbappé is not at 100%, which is why they left him on the bench in the last friendly against Canada (0-0) and only brought him on in the 77th minute.
L'Équipe reports that Mbappé will continue to experience discomfort during the group stage of the European Championship, where they will face the Netherlands, Poland, and Austria. However, the newspaper notes that although Les Bleus usually "play for" the Real Madrid forward, Deschamps might attempt to experiment like Luis Enrique did at PSG and get the team used to playing without him.
Nevertheless, with Antoine Griezmann and Marcus Thuram as his attacking partners, Mbappé could have the freedom to move without the ball, thus reducing the risk of an opponent making a reckless challenge that could worsen his physical issues.
