France coach Didier Deschamps expressed no concerns about Kylian Mbappe's form and anticipates that the Real Madrid forward will regain his scoring prowess once he is fully fit. Following France's 3-1 loss to Italy in their Nations League opener in Paris, Deschamps made significant changes to his lineup for the match against Belgium on Monday, with Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann starting from the bench in their 2-0 victory. Mbappe's performance at Euro 2024 was underwhelming after he sustained a broken nose against Austria, and it took him four games to score his first league goals for Madrid after his transfer from Paris St Germain.
"The French team will always be stronger with him, and I am confident that in a month he will be better," Deschamps stated. "There are very high expectations at his club. I have no concerns about Kylian." Mbappe was introduced in the 67th minute against Belgium and showed promise as he attempted to add his name to the scoresheet, narrowly missing a tight angle shot 10 minutes from time and having another effort saved in the 86th minute. Michael Olise and Manu Kone received their first caps against Italy, while Lucas Digne played his first game for France in over two years against Belgium, with Matteo Guendouzi also making a return.
Deschamps emphasized that he is using the Nations League as a platform to expand the talent pool at his disposal and intends to continue this approach regardless of the outcomes. "I am committed to my strategy, to give as many players as possible the opportunity to be tested," he explained. "This is the time to do that, even if it means losing games. You cannot replace players with 50 caps by simply snapping your fingers." Deschamps acknowledged the numerous changes to the lineup, saying, "I am fully aware that I am not putting the team in the best conditions. But we must go through this process. It provides us with valuable insights."
