France coach Deschamps spoke at length about Mbappe’s impact and lauded his contributions during the press conference before their clash against Azerbaijan and Iceland. "He's a central striker. The range of abilities depends on the system. With us, he has freedom, like most strikers. In the centre, there are fewer constraints, especially defensively. He has legs of fire, he's confident, and his head is also fine. He exudes a lot of power and speed, and that's where he makes even more of a difference. He's totally committed to us, he fully assumes his role as captain and his responsibility towards the group. We can always do better. He's a central striker who likes to have freedom and participate in the game."
France are sitting pretty at the top of their World Cup qualification group, and should still be able to see off Iceland on Monday, despite the mountain of injuries. And Mbappe is expected to be fit for Real’s next match, an away trip to Getafe on Sunday the 19th.
Real have enjoyed a strong start to the season and currently sit top of La Liga, with seven wins and just one defeat from their first eight games; they sit two points clear of Barcelona. They have also won their two opening Champions League fixtures as they continue to pursue European glory. They have not won the Champions League since 2024.
