38-year-old Navas ready to take on Mbappe as Spain miss crucial duo for semi

Kylian Mbappe will be licking his lips ahead of France’s semi-final clash with Spain tonight, with La Roja missing two defensive stars.

Both Dani Carvajal and Robin Le Normand are suspended for the game and will have to watch on from the sidelines in Munich.

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It’s a huge blow for the 2008 European Champions, who will now need to find a way to navigate their absence.

Carvajal was sent off during Spain’s 2-1 win over Germany in the quarter-final last week.

The experienced Spaniard picked up two cards in extra-time after Florian Wirtz’s late strike initially saved Germany.

The first yellow Carvajal received meant he would have missed the semi-final anyway because it was his second of the tournament.

However, he then took one for the team and got sent off in the dying moments.

It means a new right-back will have to step in and that responsibility falls on the shoulders of Jesus Navas.

The 38-year-old, who spent four years at Manchester City, has only played 99 minutes at Euro 2024 so far.

And now he faces the incredibly tough task of coming up against Mbappe tonight, live on talkSPORT.

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On paper, it seems like a huge mismatch with the lightning speed of the French superstar surely too much for Navas.

However, the defender won’t shy away from the challenge and could potentially play a crucial role in Spain’s success.

Navas isn’t the only change at the back for Spain either, with Le Normand also getting booked twice at the tournament.

He will have to sit out too, meaning if Mbappe plays a more central role, he’ll still be taking on a less fresh opponent.

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Nacho Fernandez will start in Le Normand’s place after he replaced him at half-time against Germany.

The former Real Madrid centre-back has only started one game at Euro 2024 so far, meaning he may not be fully up to speed.

It makes a hard task even harder for Spain as they take on former World Champions France aiming to book their place in the final.

Should they deal with their missing defensive stars though and secure a spot in the showpiece, they will face England or Netherlands.

And for that game, Carvajal and Le Normand will be free to return.

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