Mbappé's fitness became a major talking point

Kylian Mbappé's availability quickly became one of the biggest storylines ahead of France's FIFA World Cup semifinal against Spain.

The France captain picked up a minor ankle injury during his side's quarterfinal victory over Morocco and was substituted late in the match, immediately raising questions about his condition for the tournament's biggest game so far.

Those concerns grew after Mbappé did not complete Monday's training session, instead following a reduced workload while the rest of the squad finished practice.

With a place in the World Cup Final on the line, any uncertainty surrounding France's biggest star naturally attracted attention.

Deschamps dismisses concerns

France head coach Didier Deschamps was quick to calm speculation during his pre-match press conference.

"Kylian is fine," Deschamps said when asked about his captain's condition.

The French manager explained that Mbappé trained with the group as planned and only had a slight adjustment to one of the drills.

"Did you see that he didn't train? He has the right to skip ten minutes, just like any other player," Deschamps joked when responding to questions about the forward's partial absence.

He later clarified that Mbappé completed ten minutes of an exercise that had originally been scheduled to last fifteen.

The ankle issue is not expected to keep him out

Mbappé suffered what has been described as a minor ankle sprain during France's 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarterfinals.

Although the coaching staff has carefully managed his workload since then, everything indicates the issue is precautionary rather than serious.

France has not suggested that Mbappé is in danger of missing the semifinal, and Deschamps' comments strongly indicate that the Real Madrid forward will be available to start against Spain.

The 27-year-old has been one of the tournament's standout performers and remains France's most dangerous attacking weapon heading into the final four.

Tchouaméni is also available

Deschamps also provided an update on Aurélien Tchouaméni, who missed France's previous two matches.

The Real Madrid midfielder has returned to training with the squad and is available for selection, although the France manager admitted he has not yet returned to full fitness.

"He's not at one hundred percent," Deschamps acknowledged, while making it clear that Tchouaméni remains an option for the semifinal.

His return would likely strengthen France's midfield against a Spain side expected to dominate possession.

Everything points toward Mbappé starting

Unless there is an unexpected setback before kickoff, Mbappé is expected to lead France's attack against Spain.

Deschamps appears to have managed his captain carefully in training while making it clear that the reduced workload was simply a precaution.

With a place in the FIFA World Cup Final at stake, France expects its biggest star to be available for one of the most important matches of the tournament.

For now, the concerns surrounding Mbappé's fitness appear to have been put to rest, and all signs point to him taking his place in the starting lineup.

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