Kylian Mbappé and Didier Deschamps highlight Evan Ferguson threat

STAR MAN: Kylian Mbappé during a France press conference at Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Both Kylian Mbappé and Didier Deschamps have identified Evan Ferguson as a key threat for Ireland on Monday but still believe France’s wave can continue to rise.

The beaten World Cup finalists defied the seedings of the Euro draw by strolling past top ranked Netherlands 4-0 on Friday in a group also featuring Ireland, Greece and Gibraltar.

Mbappé has spearheaded their assault, assisting one and scoring a brace to crush the flimsy orange defence and at 24 s rapidly heading towards Michel Platini’s haul of 41 goals.

A hat-trick at Lansdowne Road would bring him level with the legend and he was in a confident mood speaking in the press conference on the eve of Ireland’s opener.

Still, the World Cup’s golden boot winner is aware of another prodigious striker in Ferguson, the 18-year-old set to lead the line in his first competitive minutes after three friendly outings.

“We saw some clips of him,” Mbappé said of the Brighton and Hove Albion marksman.

"Of course, he is an important striker for the Ireland team but we hope he’s going to do nothing tomorrow and that means we’ll win. We are going to do our job.”

Deschamps, one of the longest serving international bosses having taken charge of his homeland in 2012, knows all about Ireland from two previous meetings in 2016 and 2018.

This challenge against an Ireland team managed by Stephen Kenny, he stresses, will be different – noting the presence of Ferguson and another newcomer, recently-declared Michael Johnston.

“If I think back to Euro 2016, I remember we were losing 1-0 at half time in the last-16 tie - that was a difficult one,” he said of the game in Lyon that Antoine Griezmann swung with a second half brace.

“There is a new Ireland generation now with new players.

“Ferguson poses a threat, a good player. Johnston as well has joined the team. It is a mix of young and experienced players.

“Ireland are known for being direct and vertical in how they play but from what I’ve seen in recent games they are capable of playing the ball along the ground as well. Of course, they have a new coach who arrived in 2020 as well.”