France captain highlights Manchester City's Rayan Cherki's talent and projects midfielder's return against Ukraine
At a press conference on Wednesday, Kylian Mbappe was full of praise for Rayan Cherki, Manchester City's young midfielder, who returns to the France squad after recovering from injury.
Ahead of Thursday's (13th) clash against Ukraine, the Blues captain described his teammate as "a special talent" and demonstrated confidence in his impact on the team.
Mbappe's praise for Cherki in France
Manchester City's Rayan Cherki on November 2, 2025
Injured at the start of the season, Cherki missed the September and October call-ups, but now returns to manager Didier Deschamps' disposal. At 21 years old, the offensive midfielder is trying to consolidate his place in a midfield that features already established names in the team, such as Olise or Dembele.
"He is a special talent. He has a natural gift and is exploring that potential. He is a spectacular player who has adapted very well to the group and to Manchester City, which is not easy. I hope he continues on this path. Here, he started well, and now has a new opportunity to show his level," stated Mbappe.
Asked about the possibility of playing alongside the youngster, Mbappe adopted a pragmatic tone and reinforced the need for merit for all players in the team:
"In the national team, there is no time for building understanding. I do not know if he will play tomorrow, but he knows what he needs to do and has the qualities for it. If he comes on, like anyone else, he will have to prove he deserves this shirt."
Mutual confidence and good memories with Cherki
Manchester City's Rayan Cherki celebrating with Erling Haaland on November 2, 2025
The young former Lyon player has already left his mark for the national team: he scored a goal in the Nations League semi-final against Spain, precisely after a pass from Mbappe. The captain, for his part, reinforced the importance of encouraging the new generation, highlighting the understanding between both on and off the pitch.
The expectation is that Cherki will receive minutes against Ukraine, in a match that could consolidate his return to the senior national team and reinforce manager Deschamps' confidence in his potential.
In the current Premier League season, the midfielder has six matches, one goal and two assists, but has not yet become a regular starter in Pep Guardiola's team. In total at his new club, there are 13 matches, four goals and four assists.
At Lyon, Cherki exploded as a young talent very early and accumulated 145 matches in the professional team. There were 29 goals and 45 assists before leaving the club at the start of the current season, aged 22.
France and Ukraine face each other on Thursday at 7:45pm UK time at the Parc des Princes, in another preparatory friendly. It will be the second time that Mbappe and Cherki share the senior national team squad, repeating the June call-up before the start of the Euros.
This article was originally published on Trivela.
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