Kyle Walker, 32, England’s right-back and defender, said on Wednesday (7) that his team cannot be obsessed with Kylian Mbappé, 23, during the clash with the French.
The English defender will be in charge of marking the young top scorer of the tournament, who has five goals in four games.
“I know he’s a great player, but we’re not playing tennis. It’s not a solitary sport, it’s a team game,” Walker said. “We can’t forget about Giroud, who scored countless goals, or Dembelé, who for me is as good as playing on the other side of the attack,” he added.
Faced with the dispute for a place in the semifinals of the World Cup this Saturday, the English coach Gareth Southgate can modify the tactical scheme of his team, changing from the 4-3-3 —a formation with four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards— to a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2.
This would allow Walker to abandon the right wing and act as a third center back in an attempt to cover Mbappé.
“When we played Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, we weren’t just thinking about him, and Saturday will be the same,” said the full-back. “Yes, he is a very powerful weapon, but we cannot underestimate other players.”
England faces France at the Al Bayt stadium, in Al Khor, 45 kilometers from Doha, at 4 pm this Saturday (10).
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