De Bruyne: Belgium out to stop France star Mbappe in World Cup semi

St Petersburg (dpa) - Kevin De Bruyne says Kylian Mbappe has become a star, and Belgium will be out to shut down the French striker in the World Cup semi-final.
Paris Saint-Germain's Mbappe, who has been a key figure in France's run to the final four in Russia, did not train as a precaution on Monday ahead of the clash in St Petersburg on Tuesday, in which he is expected to start.
"He's become a star in France. When I played against him with Monaco he had only played about 10 matches, I didn't know him at the time to tell the truth," said De Bruyne, whose Manchester City side were knocked out of the Champions League by Mbappe's Monaco in March 2017. De Bruyne says the 19-year-old has matured since his move to the French capital, with Mbappe drawing plaudits as PSG won Ligue 1, and he struck twice for France in their 4-3 skewering of Argentina.
"He's a different player now, he's a star, he's had a fantastic year," added De Bruyne. "I think he can be dangerous to us, we're going to try to stop him from playing tomorrow."
As well as Mbappe, Benjamin Pavard and N'Golo Kante did not participate in training, but France coach Didier Deschamps said it was also a precaution and all his players would be fit for the clash. Belgium coach Roberto Martinez will have to make at least one change as right-back Thomas Meunier is suspended.
"We will be ready and will adapt ourselves to Belgium's organization, whatever it is, due to Thomas Meunier's absence," Deschamps said. Belgium changed their tactics to surprise Brazil in the quarter-final, but Deschamps says he is ready for anything.
"Belgium played a great game against Brazil with a specific game plan. Will they do something similar against us? Probably," added Deschamps.
"I have made sure my players are prepared for any scenario at the beginning of the match and during the match if it changes." Martinez highlighted his team's willingness to accept tactical adjustments and work hard as a group, rather than allowing egos to flourish, despite possessing world-class stars like De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku.
"We're very strong as a group, there is not too much responsibility on individuals, that's been the key to our World Cup campaign," said the Spaniard. However the coach did reserve special praise for De Bruyne. "Apart from goalkeeper, he could play in any position at the highest level," explained Martinez. "For us he is the modern playmaker, he moves even quicker than you can see."
De Bruyne responded by praising the coach for fostering a winning mentality in the Belgian national team. "He's brought us tighter together, with more belief of winning it," said the midfielder. "Maybe some players didn't have the belief of winning at all. We have more trust in each other to perform better than ever."
France are aiming for a second successive tournament final after losing to Portugal on home soil at Euro 2016. The 1998 winners are hoping to be back at a first World Cup final since losing on penalties to Italy in 2006. Captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said Les Bleus have the opportunity to "make a mark in the history of French football."
After beating Argentina in a thrilling last 16 clash and then dispatching Uruguay with minimal fuss, France are one step away from the Moscow final on July 15. "We are closer to our goal," said Lloris. "Tomorrow it's another step, and it is going to be an important step for all of our careers."