Konate relishing Mbappe, Walker battle in quarters
Ibrahima Konate is relishing the chance to see Kylian Mbappe and Kyle Walker's battle up close and personal when France faces England in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
Les Bleus are into the last eight after victory over Poland, with Didier Deschamps' side now set to take on Gareth Southgate's Three Lions, one of the few unbeaten sides left at Qatar 2022.
Forward Mbappe, who sits atop the Golden Boot standings with five goals to his name, has been the form player at the tournament so far.
But he will face arguably his toughest test yet in England right-back Walker, with Konate looking forward to seeing the pair square off.
"Walker and Mbappe are two very great players," he said. "Walker is one of the best right-backs in the world, I cannot wait to see this battle.
"[But] it's complicated [to defend against Mbappe]. Kylian is impressive. Each year, he evolves and becomes even better.
"I don't know where he will stop. We are lucky to have him in our team and not against us."
Mbappe missed team training on Wednesday, instead completing routines inside away from the rest of the squad, sparking fears of a potential injury knock.
But Konate shut down such talk, suggesting instead it was a preordained decision as part of his post-match recovery process.
"It was a little recovery session, the day before we had a day off," he added. "I think he decided to stay indoors with the coach.
"There is nothing to worry about. We are counting on him as on all the players in the group. Everyone must be in good health to face England."
