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Martial praised by Deschamps after Man Utd star limps out of France win
The striker played a role in the opening goal but left the field to be replaced by Kylian Mbappe early in the second half
France boss Didier Deschamps praised the form of Manchester United forward Anthony Martial after a 2-0 win away in Kazakhstan.
The world champions picked up the victory thanks to a first-half strike from Ousmane Dembele and an own goal just before the break, getting their first win of the qualifying campaign after being held 1-1 by Ukraine in their opener.
Martial was one of several players drafted into the starting XI, although he was forced off injured early in the second half.
What did Deschamps say?
Speaking in the press conference after the game, Deschamps addressed the form of both Martial and Dembele: “They did some interesting things.
“Ousmane has confirmed that he’s getting back on the right track. He’s capable of repeated sprints and making the difference. He was rewarded with his goal.
“Anthony was behind the opening goal. It’s good for them both.
“From the moment I selected them, they are in the squad to be used. I have other attackers in this squad. But for the profile of the opponent, it was important to commit opponents and to dribble.
“They both did it pretty well.”
What happened to Martial?
Early in the second half, Martial broke into the box down the left. As he attempted to cut inside, he was a little heavy with his touch and as he stretched to win the ball got his studs caught in the artificial surface.
Initially, he seemed to be in some pain after replays showed that he had jarred his knee and there was a fear that he may have suffered serious damage.
However, he was able to play on for several minutes and hit a powerful free kick with the injured leg. When he was replaced, he left the field with a noticeable limp.
