'He is not a superman!' - Kylian Mbappe backed to deal with Real Madrid pressure amid slow start as France boss says star has 'always scored goals'

Mbappe scored on his Real Madrid debut against Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup, however, the Frenchman struggled to find his feet in La Liga and failed to get a single goal contribution through Los Blancos' first three league matches. However, Mbappe followed it up with a brace last weekend against Real Betis in a 2-0 win, and Deschamps has backed the 25-year-old to cope with the pressure on his shoulders.

Speaking to the media, the France boss said Mbappe breaking his La Liga duck does not make a difference: "I have no reason to feel relieved, obviously I am happy for him, even if he had already scored in the first game of the European Super Cup. Kylian is used to this in his daily life, he sets very high standards for himself. His coach Carlo Ancelotti was not worried and neither was I. Kylian has always scored goals and he will score them."

Mbappe hasn't just struggled at Real Madrid as the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner failed to show his usual level in the France shirt at Euro 2024. The French captain only scored a solitary goal in Germany - a group-stage penalty against Poland. However, Deschamps is not worried about the drop in form heading into the Nations League.

Deschamps said: "The French national team is better when Kylian is there. From experience, being in the French national team is a break that is good for many of them. He was not effective - at first - but I spoke to him and he feels good. Obviously he is not at his best yet, but he is not a robot or a superman. Expectations are high. He has a great capacity to absorb everything that happens on and off the pitch. But we can understand that human fatigue can be significant."

The 25-year-old will be in action next up in a France shirt when Les Bleus take on Italy and Belgium in their opening Nations League group-stage clashes.