France coach Didier Deschamps wants to spare superstar Kylian Mbappé and others as much strain as possible at the World Cup.
"My top priority is to protect the players," the 57-year-old told a news conference on Monday ahead of their opener against Senegal the following day in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Instead of captain Mbappé, Deschamps brought veteran N'Golo Kanté along to the press conference because the 35-year-old is an early riser. One player must attend.
"We have two one-hour journeys ahead of us," Deschamps added, apparently referring to the trip back to their hotel and returning for the match the next day.
There will be many more long journeys to come at the expanded tournament in the US, Canada and Mexico, which is been playing in sometimes extreme heat. France are based in Boston.
Les Bleus, winners in 1998 and 2018 with Deschamps as captain and coach respectively, are among the big contenders at this World Cup.
But Deschamps, stepping down after the tournament, said, "If there is a favourite, then it is certainly Spain."
