France manager Didier Deschamps has rebuffed suggestions that Kylian Mbappe has a “big ego” and insists he won’t be swayed by the PSG star.
France already through – major rotation possibleMbappe doesn’t have influence on team selectionNeither does he have an ego
WHAT HAPPENED? Deschamps has hinted that his star man could be rotated out of the team against Tunisia. The France manager also reaffirmed his authority over both Mbappe and his team selection while defending the 23-year-old against reports that he has an ego problem.
WHAT THEY SAID: Speaking at a pre-game press conference, Deschamps said: “His fitness is fine so we don’t need to manage that, so you are saying we have to manage his ego?” What do you know about that? I know but you don’t. Kylian doesn’t have a big ego, that’s not true. He’s a key player but he’s a team player. Of course, he’s a star but he’s not 18-years-old anymore, he’s more experienced.
“He wants to play tomorrow but not all of them can start the match, that’s normal. You can imagine lots of things but I have a lot of factors to take into account. And my information is first hand, straight from the horse’s mouth.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: France have already secured their spot in the knockout stages after two wins against Australia and Denmark. They’ll top Group D should they avoid defeat against a Tunisia side who are winless thus far, making rotation a possibility as Deschamps starts to think about the round of 16 tie on the horizon.
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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE? He’ll likely want to play a part in France’s final group game as he goes in search of winning the Golden Boot. Mbappe is currently tied with Enner Valencia and Cody Gakpo on three goals and will want to add that individual trophy to his growing collection.
