In the last few days, a feud between Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud has gone public after the Chelsea striker has stated that he wasn’t getting enough service in their 3-0 win over Bulgaria, which many believe was aimed towards Mbappe. This brewing feud could upset the team’s morale ahead of their tournament opener against Germany on Tuesday.

Olivier Giroud came on as a substitute for the injured Karim Benzema in their warm up game against Bulgaria. He scored twice in that match, which is a good sign for the team in case Benzema is not fully fit in the next couple of days. Most of his teammates ran over to Giroud to celebrate his first goal, but Kylian Mbappe walked in the opposite direction.

“I was quiet because sometimes you make a run and the balls just don’t arrive,” Giroud said on L’Équipe TV. “I don’t always pretend to make the right calls, but I have tried hard to give solutions in the area.”

Mbappé said Sunday he had been “a little affected” by the growing unrest caused by Giroud’s comments. “What he said does not bother me more than that,” Mbappé said. “He expresses a feeling when he speaks. I’m a forward and I’ve had that feeling 365 times in a game, when you feel like you’re not being served.

“It’s more about releasing it publicly. I saw him in the dressing room, I congratulated him on his goals, he didn’t say anything to me. I heard about it in the press. That’s more [important] than what he said – he didn’t say anything bad.”

Mbappé said he did not want to make “a big deal about it” and added: “We are here to represent France, that is the most important thing.”

Giroud’s place in the team was uncertain after Karim Benzema had been recalled to the squad after a 6-year snub. However, Giroud replaced Benzema against Bulgaria as the latter got injured. Giroud’s brace takes him up to 46 goals, just five shy of the national record held by Theirry Henry.