France defender Dayot Upamecano has urged England stars to go to bed early if they want to have a chance of stopping Kylian Mbappe.
The Three Lions will take on the 2018 World Cup winners on Saturday with a semi-final place on the line.
Most of the talk ahead of the clash has been about whether England can stop high-flying Paris Saint Germain star Mbappe, who has netted five goals already in the tournament.
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Ahead of the match, France’s Bayern Munich centre-back Upamecano has advised England players to get a good night’s sleep in order to stop Mbappe.
He said: “Kylian is a completely different forwards to anyone else. He’s a world-class player and it’s difficult to defend against him. You have to go to bed early.”
Upamecano himself will be in for a difficult match as he will be tasked with defending against England captain Harry Kane, the Bayern man has revealed that Kane’s Tottenham Hotspur teammate, Hugo Lloris will give a low down on how to deal with England’s main man.
“I’m sure we’ll talk about it. They are team-mates from Tottenham,” Upamecano added.
“I know Kane, the way he plays. He’s a forward who comes to find the ball and can run really fast, so we have to be mindful of that and ready.”
It is likely that Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker will be the man tasked with stopping Mbappe. France midfielder Youssuf Fofana has sounded out a stern warning to the Englishman, stating that no teams in the French league have been able to limit Mbappe’s influence.
He said: “If he can stop Kylian, then good for him. But there are 19 other teams in the French League who are still waiting to find that answer.
“The truth will be on the pitch and we'll see on Saturday what will happen. But, as a Frenchman, l believe in Kylian.
“Kylian doesn't read what’s written, he concentrates on the match. He’s going to be focused on what’s expected of him, rather than the players he will face. He’s very composed and determined.”
England vs France will kick off on Saturday 10 December at 7pm UK time.
Topics: Dayot Upamecano, Kylian Mbappe, France, England, Football, Football World Cup
Marcus Chan