Deschamps praises Dembele, Mbappe happy to be back for France

Mbappe returns to the French squad for the first time since September

France manager Didier Deschamps commended forward Ousmane Dembele’s form as Kylian Mbappe returned to his squad ahead of their Nations League clash with Croatia on Thursday.

France face Croatia in the quarter-final first leg in the Adriatic coastal city of Split, with the second leg on Sunday at the Stade de France.

Dembele has netted 30 goals for his club Paris St Germain this season across all competitions.

"He's in great form, reading the game well. He deserves his success. You used to criticise him for not being clinical — now he is," Deschamps told reporters on Wednesday.

"Could he play as a number nine? He hasn’t changed, but his efficiency is very high right now. He has always had good finishing ability.

"Anything is possible. I’m not here to give away info to our opponent. What matters is having the right chemistry and technical balance."

Striker Mbappe returned to the French squad for the first time since September and looked happy and relaxed as he talked to reporters.

"It's great to be back with the group. Most of the teammates who are here, we talk to each other almost all the time. I go on vacation with some of them. It's nice to be here," Mbappe said.

The 26-year-old, who has 86 caps, was not included in the squad for the team's Nations League fixtures in October and November after joining Real Madrid in July.

"It’s great to be back. Maybe things seemed unclear from the outside, but internally, everything was always clear," Mbappe said.

"A career isn’t linear. You can be up, you can be down. You need to focus on what makes you happy and get back to work. Would I have done things differently? I would have played better."

Mbappe, a member of France's 2018 World Cup-winning team, is only looking ahead.

"My focus is on the 2026 World Cup," he said. "A tournament of that importance requires full commitment. We want to prepare well and dream of becoming world champions."

Deschamps said France had plenty of attacking options.

"It would be a very good thing if they (Mbappe and Dembele) keep their efficiency," he said. "But some other players are able to make the difference."