Kylian Mbappe comes to Lamine Yamal's defence
Lamine Yamal has made headlines for various reasons in the past year, but Kylian Mbappe has come to the teenager’s defence while on international duty with France.
Eighteen-year-old Yamal has enjoyed a strong start to the season, scoring twice and providing three assists in four LaLiga matches for Barcelona, but a groin injury has limited his minutes in recent weeks.
The winger, who won his second consecutive Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or ceremony last month, has been ruled out of Spain’s upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Bulgaria.
His recent fitness issues have sparked a row between Barca and the Spain national team, while Yamal’s private life has also faced scrutiny over the past year.
Real Madrid rival Mbappe, who made his Ligue 1 debut with Monaco aged 16, believes the focus should only be on Yamal’s performances on the pitch.
“You can see [Yamal] has a passion for football and that's the only thing he must not lose,” Mbappe said in an interview on Spanish television.
“[Yamal] is a great football player, but in life he's an 18-year-old kid.
“At 18, everyone makes mistakes. He'll live his life. We should only look at what he does on the pitch.
“The rest isn't important, as long as it isn't anything serious. He's a player with a great talent.
“The rest is just his life. People talk about his personal life, but I think people should leave him alone.”
