France injury update: Latest on Mbappé, Tchouaméni, Saliba and Upamecano ahead of Spain World Cup semifinal

France returned to training at its headquarters in Boston before flying to Dallas later today. The biggest boost for Didier Deschamps was seeing both Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouaméni train normally, despite both players being closely monitored because of recent fitness concerns. Both are expected to face Spain in the World Cup semifinal on Tuesday (kickoff at 3 p.m. ET) and are on track to start.

Mbappé suffered ankle problem against Morocco

Mbappé finished the quarterfinal against Morocco with an ankle issue, a problem that has bothered him on several occasions. The Real Madrid forward insisted after the match that he was “fine” and downplayed the knock that aggravated the discomfort. Deschamps acknowledged that Mbappé had finished the game feeling sore but said he was not overly concerned.

After treatment on the ankle and with the aid of a special bandage, Mbappé is fit, as shown by his full participation in training. He will now be aiming to add to his goal tally and help France reach another World Cup final, which would be the nation’s third in the last three tournaments.

Is Tchouaméni fit to play against Spain?

France also received good news with Tchouaméni’s return. After missing the game against Paraguay and remaining on the bench against Morocco, the midfielder looks set to reclaim his place in the starting lineup against Spain.

Within the French camp, there is a belief that Tchouaméni could have played against Morocco had it been absolutely necessary, but the priority was to protect his ankle as much as possible. The stakes of a World Cup semifinal mean he is expected to return to the lineup, even though Manu Koné performed well while filling in during his absence.

The most notable aspect of Tuesday’s training session was that neither member of France’s first-choice center back pairing, Saliba nor Upamecano, trained with the main group. However, there is no major concern. The coaching staff is simply managing the workload of two key defenders who have logged heavy minutes throughout both the World Cup and the club season with Arsenal and Bayern Munich, respectively.

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