Kylian Mbappe has allayed any injury fears following France's World Cup quarter-final win over Morocco, confirming he sustained a minor ankle problem but is otherwise fine. The France captain was substituted late in the match after going to ground without contact, sparking concerns over his availability for the semi-final.
Substitution and Immediate Concerns
Mbappe captained France for their last-eight showdown against Morocco, with manager Didier Deschamps making just one change to the side that started the win over Paraguay, bringing in Desire Doue for Bradley Barcola. However, Mbappe's involvement ended around 12 minutes from time at the Boston Stadium. The forward went to ground with nobody around him, spoke to members of the France medical staff after getting back to his feet, and was then replaced by Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta.
As Mbappe took his seat on the bench alongside other substitutes, his right ankle was wrapped in ice, raising doubts over his participation in next week's World Cup semi-final against either Spain or Belgium.
Post-Match Update
Mbappe effectively delivered an injury update without saying a word at the full-time whistle. As seen in video footage, he moved around freely on his right ankle while leading post-match celebrations in front of France supporters. Later, speaking to reporters after returning to the tunnel for his media duties, the 27-year-old admitted he is managing a minor ankle injury but insisted he is fine.
"I have a minor ankle injury, but I'm completely fine," he said. "Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That's all that happened."
Match Performance
Mbappe missed a first-half penalty but broke the deadlock on the hour mark before Ousmane Dembele added a second six minutes later to seal a 2-0 win over Morocco. France will discover their semi-final opponents on Friday when Spain face Belgium in Los Angeles.
