France World Cup winner claims five England players would get in French team with MBAPPE missing out

HE's the world's best footballer in the eyes of many, approaching his peak and has just completed a dream move.

Yet according to a French World Cup winner, Real Madrid new boy Kylian Mbappe might not get in a combined England-France team.

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Emmanuel Petit is well qualified to deliver such a shock verdict on strikers.

The ex-Chelsea and Barcelona midfielder played alongside Premier League all-time great attackers Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry in his three years at Arsenal.

And he believes England's current front three can be so effective together that they might ALL be good enough for France ahead of 25-year-old Mbappe.

Three Lions' skipper and record scorer Harry Kane is being nursed back to full fitness just days before Euro 2024 - in which the Three Lions could meet Didier Deschamps' Les Bleus in the semi-finals.

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Meanwhile, Phil Foden is flying after his finest season so far for champions Manchester City.

And although Bukayo Sako has arguably been less consistent this season, the winger remains Arsenal's stand-out talent going forward.

In all, Petit believes five Englishmen could get in a French side who are favourites alongside Gareth Southgate's men to win the Euros.

Mbappe's hat-trick couldn't save France from World Cup final anguish against Argentina two years ago.

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And his pacy brilliance also might not be enough to displace Saka or Foden if the French could include England stars - at least according to Petit.

The 53-year-old told : “Harry Kane would get in the France team because he’s a great goal scorer. 

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"I have huge respect for Olivier Giroud but Kane is one of the best strikers of the last 10 years.

"Even if we have Kylian Mbappe on the left or Ousmane Dembele on the right, that doesn’t mean that Phil Foden cannot play instead of Mbappe. 

"Foden has been amazing this season. He has become the boss of Manchester City. 

"And on the other side, you have Bukayo Saka who has been tremendous for the last four years for Arsenal."

Petit is less surprising in his assessment of where you'll find the other players worthy of going from Lions to Les Bleus.

The 64-cap former anchorman, who doesn;t have an English player in any of the defensive slots or in goal, said: "I think in the midfield area there are more positions that England players can take. 

"This is where we have talented players, but not enough in my opinion. Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice can play, no problem at all.”