NEW DELHI: France coach Didier Deschamps has played down concerns over Kylian Mbappe‘s fitness, confirming that the captain is expected to be available for the FIFA World Cup 2026 semifinal against Spain.Mbappe suffered a minor ankle injury during France’s 2-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco but is not expected to miss the crucial clash.

Deschamps provides Mbappe fitness update

Speaking ahead of the semifinal, Deschamps reassured fans that the France skipper was doing well despite the injury.“Kylian is fine,” Deschamps said.Mbappe did not complete France’s final training session after picking up the knock against Morocco. The forward, who was substituted late in the match, had his workload reduced as a precaution.Explaining the decision, Deschamps said:“Yes, he trained. He is allowed to do 10 minutes in one drill instead of 15.”The France captain was only partially involved in training, but the injury is not expected to keep him out of the semifinal.

France face Spain in semis

France will take on a confident Spain that reached the semifinals after beating Belgium 2-1 in the quarterfinals.Spain have not lost in their last 36 matches and will be looking to continue that run by booking a place in the World Cup final.The winner of the blockbuster semifinal will face either Argentina or England in the final on July 20.