Didier Deschamps, the coach of the French national team, revealed that he feared his star Kylian Mbappe might get injured during the match against Paraguay in the round of 16 of the World Cup, which took place on Saturday evening.
The match ended with France winning 1-0, with Mbappe scoring from a penalty kick in the 70th minute, in a game that witnessed many interventions and clashes between the players of both teams throughout the 90 minutes.
Deschamps said in statements reported by the FIFA website: "I asked two strong players to surround Mbappe in the final minutes because they almost caused him an injury."
The French coach criticized Paraguay's style of play, adding: "It was not an easy match, they use all possible tricks, and this does not provide enjoyable football for the fans, but they defended well, and matches against South American teams are always complicated."
He added: "They are a physically strong team and good at defense, and this is another important step forward. I am very happy that the players accomplished the task, and we qualified for the quarter-finals, and we must enjoy this achievement."
Deschamps also pointed to a similar incident in the 2018 World Cup against Uruguay, when he had to substitute Mbappe for fear of him getting injured, in a match that ended with France winning 2-0.
