Over the last 18 months, there has been a lot of talk surrounding Real Madrid players and their lack of distanced covered during matches. One of those to have been particularly focused upon is Kylian Mbappe, whose numbers are among the worst in the squad.
Mbappe, who is an untouchable player for Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, has scored 37 goals in 30 appearances across all competitions this season, but his work off the ball has come under increasing scrutiny – especially during the final weeks of Xabi Alonso’s time in charge. However, he has now been defended by his national team manager.
As per Cadena SER, France head coach Didier Deschamps was asked about the topic, and while he acknowledged that Mbappe is someone that does not cover as much ground as his teammates, he believes the work that the Real Madrid man already does should be more valued.
“I think it’s not like that, even if some run less than others. If you want him to run a minimum of 11km per game, don’t bother because he won’t do it. “Kylian, whether you like it or not, young people love him. You have the image of a selfish, individualistic guy, and it’s true that a striker must also be selfish, but I can assure you that in the functioning of the French national team he behaves like a captain.”
It is certainly a problem for Real Madrid that their players struggle to cover as much ground as other teams, especially those in the Champions League. Pressing begins from the attackers, and if the likes of Mbappe and Vinicius Junior struggle in this regard, it does make it more difficult for the rest of the team to make up for it.
