Kylian Mbappe was not present for France’s main training session at their Qatari base yesterday.
Les Bleus are ramping up preparations ahead of their World Cup quarter-final with England on Saturday.
However, talisman Mbappe was not part of the group session yesterday, instead focusing on recovery work amid a demanding tournament.
The 23-year-old has played in each of France’s four matches so far this World Cup, starting in three of them.
Mbappe is not believed to be carrying an injury, while it had been reported in the French press earlier in the day that a smaller core group would participate in open training for the media anyway.
He has grabbed five goals – including a superb brace against Poland in the last 16 on Sunday – and provided two assists already this tournament, leading the scoring charts.
Much has been made in the English media of how the Three Lions will cope against Mbappe’s obvious threat. Suggestions have been made that Gareth Southgate could revert to a back five formation, while the pacy Kyle Walker is expected to keep his place at right-back to try and go stride-for-stride with the French forward.
