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Didier Deschamps makes an indication of why he won’t use Kylian Mbappe as a substitute for Karim Benzema

Real Madrid Vlahovic

After Karim Benzema’s injury, Didier Deschamps has defined Kylian Mbappe‘s new position in the France national squad for the World Cup. Benzema, the Ballon d’Or winner for 2022, was expected to play behind Mbappe. Antoine Griezmann will play behind him with Les Bleus in this year’s competition. The France manager had to alter his team, however.

Due to the injury of Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud, a former striker for Arsenal and Chelsea, is now expected to play a central offensive role for the tournament’s current champions. While Mbappe is expected to go to the left side of the attack, as has been practiced.

Despite the absences of Benzema and Christopher Nkunku, Deschamps has several offensive alternatives, with Barcelona striker Ousmane Dembele in the running to start alongside Kingsley Coman of Bayern Munich. Randal Kolo Muani of Eintracht Frankfurt and Marcus Thuram of Borussia Monchengladbach are also on the team.

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What is Didier Deschamps’s plans for attack?

Deschamps has now disclosed to sources his plan for using Mbappe in the absence of Benzema’s availability. Giroud will be able to dive a little deeper and run into space since he is more of an attacking focal point rather than being charged with holding up the ball.

Although he would be assigned defensive duties, he would not be the same as his teammates.

The France manager has accepted that Mbappe is a striker “who needs freedom”. Although he would be assigned defensive duties, they would not be the same as those of his teammates. Instead, the 23-year-old was encouraged to keep his attention on attack and use his direct pace to harm opponents.

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What Mbappe thinks about France tactics?

Mbappe plays a different position at the club level for PSG, where he functions as the core of the attack with no other players moving farther forward in the assault. The striker recently explained why he prefers the “freedom” he gets at the international level to that which he has at his club.

After France’s victory over Austria in September, Mbappe said to reporters:

“How they ask me to play here is different. With France, I have much more freedom than at PSG. The coach knows that there is a ‘9’ like Giroud and I can move and go to the space that creates. In Paris it is different, they ask me to play pivot.”

When the striker was then asked if he liked winning for his country, he responded:

“Of course. I enjoy myself everywhere.”

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