Kylian Mbappe: France struggle without striker but Didier Deschamps ‘unconcerned’

France are a side filled with talent in all areas of the pitch, but the statistics of how they fare without Mbappe will be concerning.

They have now failed to win any of the past seven games without the striker in the starting line-up in the past two years – drawing five and losing the other two.

While France are all but through to the knockout stage – they need only a draw in their final Group D game against Poland to guarantee a last-16 place – they have played two matches at this tournament and scored just one goal.

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman may not admit it, but he must have been relieved to see Mbappe on the bench.

France had won both meetings when these sides met in qualifying, with Mbappe scoring four of his team’s six goals in those games.

“It is always different,” Koeman said of what it is like to face France without Mbappe.

“It is different for us and different for the France national team, we are talking about one of the best players in Europe and maybe the world, so of course that is different.”

Deschamps, though, feels there is a bigger picture to consider, and believes both Mbappe and France will benefit from him not being risked just four days after his broken nose.

He took part in training on Thursday wearing a mask, and Deschamps had suggested “everything was moving in the right direction” for Mbappe to be available.

But after the match the manager said: “If it had been a decisive game I may have thought twice about him playing or not.

“But it is important for me to think about how he is feeling, he has a bruise, he has to wear a mask and that may change his vision too.

“There is also the risk we would be taking and with each day passing we are getting to the point where he is better as well.

“I felt the wiser decision was to keep him on the bench.”