As the 16-time PGA Tour winner bids farewell to the game after four decades, we celebrate one of the lasting memories he has gifted us
France coach Didier Deschamps said he has no concerns about the form of Kylian Mbappe and expects Real Madrid's new forward to rediscover his scoring touch when he reaches full fitness.
After France opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-1 defeat by Italy in Paris, Deschamps fielded a much-changed team against Belgium on Monday, with Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann starting on the bench in their 2-0 win.
Mbappe struggled at Euro 2024 after breaking his nose against Austria and took four games before scoring his first league goals for Madrid after his move from Paris St Germain.
"The French team will always be stronger with him and I’m convinced that in a month he will be better," Deschamps said.
"There are very high demands in his club. I have no worries with Kylian."
Mbappe was brought on in the 67th against Belgium and looked bright as he tried to add his name to the scoresheet, missing narrowly from a tight angle 10 minutes from time and having an effort saved in the 86th minute.
Michael Olise and Manu Kone were handed their first caps against Italy while Lucas Digne played his first game for France in more than two years against Belgium, with Matteo Guendouzi also returning.
Deschamps says he is using the Nations League as a platform to widen the pool of talent at his disposal and plans to continue down that path regardless of the results.
"I'm sticking to my course, to put as many players as possible in situations where we can test them," he said.
"It is the time to do that even if it you lose games. You don't replace players with 50 caps by snapping your fingers.
"I'm well aware that I am not putting the team in the best conditions," he said of the numerous changes to the line-up.
"But we have to go through it. It gives us answers."
ALSO READ:
As the 16-time PGA Tour winner bids farewell to the game after four decades, we celebrate one of the lasting memories he has gifted us
The DP World Tour gears up for an exciting event with the $3.25 million acciona Open de España, marking the 37th of 44 tournaments in the season
His handling of logistical challenges underscores his commitment to staying prepared for the next phase of his career as he travels to the U.S. for PGA Tour Q’School
India delivered a remarkable performance at the Fide Chess Olympiad in Budapest, securing gold medals in both men's and women's events
Markram's unbeaten 69 and 26 not out from Stubbs saw them reach 170 for three wickets off 33 overs in reply to Afghanistan's total of 169
The Emirati has become the most successful driver by winning his fifth UIM F2 World Championship title
Dubai Basketball, the newly established franchise, won their first game against an European giant at Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday
The next LIV Golf Promotions event is scheduled for December at the prestigious Riyadh Golf Club, marking a significant step in the tournament’s expanding global footprint