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Deschamps explains reasoning behind Mbappe France release

France boss Didier Deschamps has doubled down on his decision to allow Kylian Mbappe to leave the squad early, saying there was no need to take any “risks” with the forward’s fitness after he fired his country to the 2026 World Cup. The Real Madrid star pulled out of his side’s final World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on Sunday after sustaining an ankle injury in Thursday’s win over Ukraine.

France v Ukraine - FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifier

Mbappe told he is causing issues with France 'special treatment'

Former France international Jerome Rothen has claimed Kylian Mbappe receives “special treatment” which will “cause problems” with his team-mates should they hit a poor run of form. The Real Madrid forward withdrew from Les Blues’ squad ahead of Sunday’s World Cup qualifier with Azerbaijan after picking up an ankle injury in Thursday’s 4-0 win over Ukraine.

France ratings 2025

Mbappe stars in routine France win but late injury causes concern

Kylian Mbappe’s stunning solo goal helped France ease to a comfortable 3-0 victory and take another giant step towards qualifying for next years’ World Cup with victory over Azerbaijan in Paris. Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin were also on target, but there were worrying scenes towards the end as talisman Mbappe signalled to come off with what looked like an ankle injury.

Frequently asked questions

Bournemouth were formed from the remains of a local club called Boscombe St. John's Institute Football Club and was renamed to Boscombe F.C. in 1899. More than 20 years later, the club changed its name to Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic Football Club, before renaming themselves to AFC Bournemouth in 1971. Fun fact: the 'AFC' in AFC Bournemouth is not an abbreviation, it's just a part of the name.

American businessman Bill Foley, in a partnership with Cannae Holdings Inc, completed the total takeover of Bournemouth in December 2022. Hollywood actor Michael B. Jordan and Kosmos Founder Nullah Sarker lead the minority ownership group.

Bournemouth's stadium is the Dean Court, commonly known as Vitality Stadium for sponsorship reasons. Bournemouth have been playing their games at this venue since December 1910.

Vitality Stadium has a capacity of 11,307, making it the second-smallest ground in Premier League history in terms of capacity, behind Luton Town's Kenilworth Road.

Bournemouth have not won a single major trophy yet.

Bournemouth have not won any Premier League / first division titles throughout their history. However, they bagged 48 points in the 2023-24 campaign, their best-ever tally.

Cherries legend Steve Fletcher, who spent 19 years of his 24-year playing career at Bournemouth, is the club's record-appearance maker. Fletcher, a forward by trade, made 728 appearances for the club and scored 121 goals.

Ron Eyre scored 229 goals in 378 games for Bournemouth between 1924 and 1933, making him the club's all-time top scorer.

Dominic Solanke, Aaron Ramsdale, Callum Wilson, Nathan Ake, Jermain Defoe, Eddie Howe, and Gavin Peacock are some of the most famous players to have played for Bournemouth. The club even managed to sign George Best at one point!

Harry Redknapp, Sean O'Driscoll, and Eddie Howe are among Bournemouth's most prominent managers ever.

Bournemouth are nicknamed The Cherries. While there's some debate regarding the origins of the nickname, it is widely believed that it is based on the cherry-red striped jerseys that the team plays in. Secondly, it is also believed that the nickname is derived from the cherry orchards in the Cooper-Dean Estate, located right next to Dean Court.