France worry over Mbappé after ankle issue

France’s place in the World Cup semi-finals has come with a major concern for Didier Deschamps: the condition of Kylian Mbappé’s ankle.

Mbappé was forced off in the closing stages against Morocco, and television pictures later showed an ice pack on his ankle, raising fears that the substitution was more than a simple precaution.

The France captain had already made his mark on the game. He missed a penalty against Yassine Bounou, then scored France’s first goal and set up the second for Ousmane Dembélé before making way for Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Deschamps chose not to take any risks with his main attacking threat as France moved closer to the last four. Mbappé was applauded off by supporters and acknowledged them from the touchline.

No details have yet been released by the French federation or team medical staff on the severity of the problem, and his availability for the semi-final remains unclear.