‘Not worthy of a captain’ – Arsenal icon takes a swipe at Mbappe ahead of Spain vs France | OneFootball

Several Real Madrid stars will be in action today, as France takes on Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-final.

Indeed, Ferland Mendy, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, and Kylian Mbappe are set to take on Dani Carvajal and former Madrid players Nacho and Joselu.

Despite an incredibly impressive campaign with PSG, Mbappe has yet to fire on all cylinders in the Euro thus far. This is largely because of an injury he sustained on his nose, which has compelled him to take refuge with a mask.

While Mbappe is expected to retain his place in the lineup, former Arsenal, Barcelona, and France midfielder Emmanuel Petit does not believe Mbappe justifies a starting role and has criticized his captaincy.

Emmanuel Petit castigates Mbappe

Indeed, Petit has deemed Mbappe unfit for captaincy due to his perceived lack of initiative. His physical condition, affected by a painful broken nose, is also a concern.

Mbappe has been below his best at the Euros. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

In fact, the Arsenal icon also suggests that his selection against Spain hinges solely on the stature of the opponent; otherwise, he might find himself relegated to the bench.

“So far, Kylian Mbappe is not worthy of a captain. He does not take enough responsibilities. He is not in good physical shape because his broken nose hurts,” the former midfielder stated, as quoted by L’Equipe.

“He will play only because the opponent is called Spain. Otherwise, he would be on the bench,” he added.

So far, Mbappe has only scored once in the competition and that was from the penalty spot. Since being struck with a nose injury, he has struggled to make a notable impact.

Nonetheless, Mbappe has shown a knack for turning up on big occasions and also has a solid track record against Spain, having defeated them in the Nations League final in 2021.

As such, he would be vying to emulate his past success and recover his form at this crucial juncture.