Jurgen Klopp says Mohamed Salah's PFA Players' Player of the Year award was well-deserved after another fantastic season from the forward.

Liverpool fell just short in the Premier League title race with Manchester City, missing out by a point, but Salah edged out Kevin De Bruyne for another individual accolade on Thursday.

The Egypt international scored 23 top-flight goals to share the Premier League Golden Boot with Son Heung-min, while also claiming the Playmaker of the Season award for most assists.

Salah added the Premier League Goal of the Season trophy to his haul, alongside the FWA, PFA Fans' Player of the Year and PFA Players' Player of the Year awards.

No player in the Premier League could match the Liverpool talisman's 36 goal involvements (23 goals, 13 assists), and manager Klopp believes his star attacker deserved the accolade.

"What I really love about this prize is that it's voted for by the players," Klopp told Liverpool's website. "That's the one prize that you should be interested in.

"Whatever the supporters say, your own supporters always say, 'Oh you're the greatest' and all the others say, 'How can he win it?'

"So, in Mo's case obviously it's the numbers, scoring goals. But scoring the most goals and having the most assists, with all the ups and downs during a season, all the things I know about football, that's a deserved winner."

Salah has been a standout performer since arriving from Roma in 2017, scoring 156 times in 254 Liverpool appearances.

Klopp says it is Salah's character that has led to his improvements and dominance in the English top flight.

"I was incredibly excited about the chance to work together with him. We spoke, yes, that was a very good talk but obviously we all need longer to know about a person," he said of his initial impressions.

"The moment I knew it will be outstanding [was] when I knew him as a person, because he's full of desire, he never will stop developing and he's a workhorse.

"I know we say it a lot but he's really the first in – maybe around Millie [James Milner], maybe Millie beats him from time to time – and he's the last out. So treatment, gym work, all these kinds of things. 

"On the pitch, if you tell Mo because of the intensity of the games, 'Mo, you go in now. Thank you very much'. 'I'm good, I'm good, get me another 10 balls.'

"So he deserves it absolutely, and that's why he's the second-time winner of this wonderful trophy. Well deserved, Mo, by the way!"

Stephen Curry declared "it means everything" to keep the NBA Finals series alive after his sensational performance dragged the Golden State Warriors past the Boston Celtics.

Curry scored 10 of the Warriors' last 12 points, finishing with 43 overall after shooting 14-of-26 from the field and seven-of-14 from long range. He also added 10 rebounds and four assists.

That helped Golden State to a 107-97 road win to level the best-of-seven series at 2-2 as they prepare to return to the Chase Center for Game 5 on Monday.

Curry also played with an injury to his left foot throughout, but expressed his delight at returning to home-court advantage with the series even.

"It means everything knowing the sense of urgency we had to have tonight to win on the road and keep some life in the series, get home-court advantage back and try to create some momentum our way," he told reporters.

"It was a hard-fought win. I think the first quarter really set the tone. Even though we were down one, it was a night and day difference between Game 3 and Game 4 how we came out defensively, and that just gives you enough life to withstand some rough patches.

"And then find some runs. We get some stops, get out in transition, guys get involved. And you give yourself a chance to win it down the stretch.

"Proud of everybody in terms of our physicality, our focus, perseverance throughout the game. 2-2 is way better than 3-1 going home. Job well done tonight."

Curry registered 12 points in the first quarter to keep the Warriors just one point adrift, and the 34-year-old believes it was vital he set the tone.

"It's kind of how we wanted to start the game. We rely on Draymond [Green] bringing that energy and fire throughout the course of the season, and year after year," he added. 

"Felt like we just had to let everybody know that we were here tonight. Whether that's their crowd, their team, our team, whoever wants to see that energy and that fire, we feed off of that.

"I think it helped us just get settled into the game because our experience, you can want it so bad, you get in your own way a little bit and everybody feels a little bit of pressure, and it can go the opposite way.

"I wanted to try to leverage that in a positive direction for us to start the game."

Asked whether it was his best Finals performance as Klay Thompson suggested, Curry responded: "I can't rate my performances, though. Just win the game."

Jayson Tatum simply stated "I've got to be better" after the Boston Celtics were downed by a Stephen Curry-inspired Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Curry put in a Finals performance for the ages at TD Garden, scoring 43 points as the Warriors levelled the best-of-seven series at 2-2 with a 107-97 triumph.

It could have been different with the Celtics holding a four-point buffer prior to Curry – playing with a left-foot injury – making a couple of fourth-quarter baskets as part of 10-0 run that swung the momentum.

Tatum had 23 points and 11 rebounds but he made just one basket when playing in the entire fourth quarter, with the Celtics draining only two shots in the final seven minutes, the Warriors outscoring the hosts 21-6 in that time.

Speaking after the game, Tatum said: "I mean, you've got to give them credit, they're a great team, they're playing well.

"But it's on me, I've got to be better. I know I'm impacting the game in other ways, but I've got to be more efficient – shoot the ball better, finish at the rim better.

"I take accountability for that, and I just look forward to Monday, and leave this one behind us.

"We'll learn from it, watching film and things like that, but everybody probably feels like they've got to do better, myself included. [We'll] just go get it on Monday."

Asked about Tatum's scoring trouble, head coach Ime Udoka said: "At times he's looking for fouls. They are a team that loads up [defensively] and certain games he's finding the outlets, and certain games he's shooting over two or three guys.

"That's the balance of being aggressive and picking your spots, and doing what he's done in previous games which is kicked it out and got guys wide-open looks.

"That's an ongoing theme, so to speak, him getting to the basket and being a scorer as well as a playmaker, and they do a good job with their rotations.

"But sometimes he's hunting fouls instead of going to finish, I've seen that in a few games so far."

Curry's tally of 43 was the second highest he has posted in a Finals game, and Udoka conceded there were some plays his team could do little to defend against.

"Obviously we're focused on him, and keeping others in check, but some of those were some crazy shots that were highly contested that he made," Udoka added.

"You look at the overall numbers, the attempts, getting those off is the number we don't like – the 14 [three-point] attempts in general – he came out bombing early, he had nine in the first half.

"Some of the threes he hit were highly contested, and you can't do anything about those, but when we did switch, it kind of got some cross-matches on guys on the rim, and he went after them a little bit later and made some plays."

The series heads back to San Francisco for Game 5 on Monday.

Draymond Green said Stephen Curry simply "wasn't letting us lose" as the greatest shooter of all time scored 43 points to carry the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 road win in Game 4.

The win tied the series at 2-2, swinging home-court advantage back to the Warriors as they prepare to head back to Chase Center for Game 5.

Curry's ridiculous performance included going 14-of-26 from the field, and seven-of-14 from long range, while also grabbing 10 rebounds and scoring 10 of the Warriors' last 12 points in a tense fourth quarter.

Andrew Wiggins also had a night to remember, pulling in a career-high 16 rebounds to go with his 17 points, finishing with a plus/minus of plus 20 in his 43 minutes, meaning the Warriors were minus 10 in the five minutes he was on the bench.

Speaking to the media after the win, Green let it be known just how special Curry was when his team needed him most.

"Incredible – [Curry] put us on his back, willed us to a win, a much-needed win," he said.

"He came out and showed why he's one of the best players to ever play this game, and why this organisation has been able to ride him to so much success. Just absolutely incredible.

"He's one of the most resilient, toughest guys that I've ever played with. The way defenses guard him, they're constantly grabbing, and he just continues to play… he just continues to do what he does.

"It says a lot about his toughness, and his competitive nature, and what it truly means to be a winner."

When asked if he had a feeling Curry was going to bring it tonight, Green said there was no way they were heading back home trailing 3-1.

"Yeah, [Curry] wasn't letting us lose," he said. "That's just what it boils down to.

"You hear all the noise… I could tell in his demeanour the last couple days, after Game 3, that he would come out with that type of fire, and we were all able to follow."

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed Green's sentiments about Curry's virtuoso performance.

"Just stunning," he said. "The physicality out there is pretty dramatic.

"Boston's got obviously the best defense in the league. They're huge, and powerful at every position.

"For Steph to take that kind of pressure all game long, and then still be able to defend at the other end when they're coming at him, I think this is the strongest physically he's ever been in his career, and it's allowing him to do what he's doing."

He also made sure to give a mention to Wiggins for his game-changing effort.

"'Wiggs' was fantastic – to go against Boston you've got to deal with [Jayson] Tatum and [Jaylen] Brown," he said. 

"They're just powerful, skilled players. Great size, they're coming downhill at you constantly, so we have to have Wiggs out there.

"I thought he was great defensively, and obviously 16 rebounds – a career-high – and [a plus/minus of] plus 20. We needed every bit of his contributions."

The Minnesota Twins showed why they are a team on the rise as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 9-4 on Friday.

Twins center-fielder Byron Buxton went deep for the third consecutive day, and it was the second day in a row he has hit multiple home runs, with five in his past three games. 

He didn't have to wait long for his first, sending Drew Rasmussen over the fence as the Twins' second batter of the day, and after Isaac Paredes tied things up with his own solo homer, Buxton untied things with his second solo shot in the fifth inning.

Buxton's second home run ignited a massive fifth inning for the home side, with six hits and an error bringing home six runs, turning 1-1 game into a 7-1 blowout.

Sparks would fly again in the seventh inning as Randy Arozerena hit a rare inside-the-park home run for the Rays, and Vidal Brujan backed it up with a home run from the very next at-bat. 

Another Arozerena RBI in the eighth inning cut the margin to 7-4, but Twins star Carlos Correa made sure it was a comfortable final inning as he added two more insurance runs with a 410-foot bomb for the longest hit of the game.

On the mound for the Twins was Devin Smeltzer, who is quickly making his case as being the ace of the staff.

Smeltzer gave up three earned runs in six innings, which is the first time in his six starts this season he has allowed more than two earned runs.

Rasmuessen is having a strong season for the Rays, but he was beat up in this game, conceding seven runs in four-and-a-third innings, although three were unearned due to fielding errors.

New Yorkers are walkin' here

It was a pitching display at Yankee Stadium as the New York Yankees eventually came away with a 2-1 home win against the Chicago Cubs after 13 innings.

Yankees starting pitcher Luis Severino was terrific, striking out 10 batters while giving up one run in six innings, while Cubs start Wade Miley was withdrawn due to injury after pitching three scoreless frames.

A solo home run to Gleyber Torres in the fourth inning gave the Yankees the lead, until Jason Heyward answered with his own solo home run for the Cubs an inning later, and that would be followed by seven innings of shut-out baseball.

Eventually, in the bottom of the 13th inning, facing the 16th pitcher of the contest, Jose Trevino was able to send the fans home happy with a walk-off base hit.

Bryce Harper and the Phillies stay hot

The Philadelphia Phillies rattled off their eighth consecutive win as they jumped the Arizona Diamondbacks early on the way to a 7-5 win.

Philadelphia's reigning MVP Bryce Harper collected three hits from his four at-bats, but with no RBIs he relied on his teammates to show up in big spots.

Rhys Hoskins got the Phillies off to terrific start with a 423-foot home run in the first inning, before a three-run blast in the second to Kyle Schwarber helped blow the game open, leading 6-0 after two innings.

Daulton Varsho tried his best to drag the Diamondbacks into the contest, with a solo homer in the sixth inning and a two-run double in the seventh, but the Phillies bullpen was able to finish the job.

The Golden State Warriors produced a spectacular defensive second half to defeat the Boston Celtics 107-97 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

With the win on the road, the Warriors tied the series at 2-2, avoiding the dreaded 3-1 deficit that history shows is almost impossible to come back from.

From the jump, it was the Stephen Curry show, scoring 12 points in the first quarter to keep the Warriors in the fight, trailing 28-27 at quarter-time.

Eight quick points from Jordan Poole off the bench gave the Warriors a jolt to start the second period, before Jaylen Brown answered with 10 of his own. 

Ultimately it was the Celtics' defense controlling the second quarter, holding the Warriors to two-of-12 shooting from long range in the frame to win it 26-22 and head into half-time leading 54-49.

Everyone expected the Warriors to come out hot in the third quarter, and they did not disappoint, with Curry and Klay Thompson both hitting jump shots in the first 40 seconds, igniting a 30-24 period for the visitors.

Curry scored another 14 points in the third, with a late three giving the Warriors a 79-78 lead heading into the last.

All series the Boston defense has gone up a gear in the fourth quarter, but this time the Warriors gave them a taste of their own medicine, holding the home side to 19 points.

A Marcus Smart three-pointer with 5:18 remaining put the Celtics up 94-90, but they would score just three points the rest of the way, spanning nearly four minutes between Smart's bucket and Al Horford's three with 1:32 on the clock.

Curry capped off his magical performance with 10 of the Warriors' last 12 points, finishing with 43 points while shooting 14-of-26 from the field and seven-of-14 from long range. He added 10 rebounds and four assists.

Also shining when the Warriors needed him most was Andrew Wiggins, who snatched a career-high 16 rebounds, including some important offensive rebounds and put-backs with his team trailing, as he also chipped in 17 points and finished with a plus/minus of plus 20. His plus/minus trailed only Kevon Looney's plus 21.

For the Celtics, Jayson Tatum was solid, but scored inefficiently, with 23 points on eight-of-23 shooting, while adding 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocks. Brown was also respectable, scoring 21 on nine-of-19 shooting, while Derrick White added 16 off the bench.

Hunter Renfrow became the latest wide receiver to get a new contract, agreeing to a two-year, $32million extension with the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Renfrow’s new deal includes $21m in guarantees, a source confirmed to ESPN, and comes after the Pro Bowl slot receiver caught 103 passes in a breakthrough season, the third-highest single-season total in franchise history.  

Current teammate Darren Waller had 107 receptions in 2020 and Hall of Famer Tim Brown had 104 in 1997. 

Speaking to the media after the announcement, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels shared why he values the Clemson product so highly.

"We are thrilled to have reached an agreement with Hunter Renfrow, and look forward to seeing him in Silver and Black for years to come," he said.

"Hunter is one of the true leaders on this team and he exemplifies the values of this organisation in how he comes to work every day. He is a tremendous teammate on and off the field and the entire Raider Nation is excited to see what the future holds for Hunter." 

Renfrow, Waller and offseason acquisition Davante Adams should give the Raiders one of the most productive trios of pass catchers in the league. 

Adams was acquired from the Green Bay Packers in March and the Raiders wasted no time in singing the star receiver to a five-year, $141.25m contract that includes a reported $67.5m in fully guaranteed money.  

Adams’ deal is the largest ever for a wide receiver and was the largest for any non-quarterback in NFL history in terms of annual value and total value, before the Los Angeles Rams signed defensive tackle Aaron Donald to a new $95m contract restructure earlier this week.  

Renfrow is the third key Raiders player to get an extension in the offseason under the new regime led by McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler. Quarterback Derek Carr signed a three-year, $120.5 million extension in April after edge rusher Maxx Crosby got a four-year, $94 million deal in March. 

Renfrow has 208 catches for 2,299 yards and 15 TDs in his three seasons in the NFL.  

Former Brooklyn Nets head coach and current Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson will be hired as the next head coach of the Charlotte Hornets, with ESPN reporting that he will receive a four-year contract. 

Aktinson's head coaching experience with the Brooklyn Nets spanned from 2016-20. He compiled a 118-190 record during his time with the rebuilding Nets, but helped guide the team from 20 wins in his initial season to a 42-40 record in 2018-19 and a playoff berth. 

He was chosen to replace outgoing head coach James Borrego after a seven-week search during which the Hornets interviewed veteran coach Mike D’Antoni, former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, and assistant coaches Sean Sweeney of Dallas, Charles Lee of Milwaukee and David Vanterpool of Brooklyn. They also interviewed Darvin Ham, who was hired by the Los Angeles Lakers.  

Borrego was fired on April 22 following a 43-win season with two years remaining on his contract. He went 138-163 during his four seasons at the helm of the Hornets and they were routed in the play-in tournament for the second straight season. 

Atkinson has a reputation as a talent developer and helped turn Caris LeVert, Joe Harris, Jarrett Allen and Spencer Dinwiddie into key players for the Nets, as well as elevating D'Angelo Russell to his lone All-Star appearance in 2019.  

The Hornets have key pieces in place with guard LaMelo Ball and much-improved forward Miles Bridges, as well as veteran Gordon Hayward, but they have a glaring need at center, which could be addressed in a number of creative ways with the NBA Draft and free agency approaching.  

Atkinson is the second Golden State assistant to accept a new job during the Warriors' playoff this season after fellow assistant Mike Brown accepted the role of head coach of the Sacramento Kings, though both are remaining with the Warriors through the end of the NBA Finals. 

Wyndham Clark was able to hold onto his outright lead at the Canadian Open with an even par second round on Friday, one stroke ahead of Rory McIlroy and the chasing field.

Clark remains at seven under after a spectacular 63 on Thursday, posting three birdies and three bogeys on his second trip around the course.

McIlroy headlines the five-man group at six under, along with American trio Keith Mitchell, Jim Knous and Alex Smalley, as well as England's Matt Fitzpatrick, who closed his round with three consecutive bogeys to surrender the lead.

Alone at five under in outright seventh is Austin Cook, who posted Friday's round of the day with his six-under 64, going bogey-free with six birdies to vault himself into contention after entering play at one over.

Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns are in a logjam at four under, as is Shane Lowry, while Tony Finau and Harold Varner III are one further back at three under, rounding out the top-20.

Justin Thomas shot his second consecutive 69 to head into the weekend at two under, while English trio Danny Willett, Justin Rose and Aaron Rai sit at one under.

The second-best score of the round belonged to Cameron Smith, who shot a 65 to land right on the cut-line after a calamitous 76 in his opener.

Rory Sabbatini and Stuart McDonald missed the cut by one stroke, while Camilo Villegas was a further shot back after going five over on his last four holes.

Gareth Southgate says he "will not outstay" his welcome as England manager as he once again hit back at criticism over his team selections.

England reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2018, the final four of the Nations League in 2019 and were runners-up at last year's Euro 2020.

Yet despite that, there have been continued calls for Southgate to adopt a more attacking approach by fielding the likes of Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold more often.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's Nations League clash with Italy at a behind-closed-doors Molineux, however, Southgate refuted the idea that he is not gung-ho enough. 

"I've got to find a balance because I don't want to sit and be defensive, but some people have managed teams and others haven't," he said. 

"Until you've managed teams, you have a different view of the game. 

"What's needed to win football matches are the sorts of things [Mason] Mount did on [Joshua] Kimmich that allows other things to happen. 

"For the man that comes and stands on the terrace and pays his money, I totally understand he wants to see a Grealish with a [Raheem] Sterling with a [Bukayo] Saka. 

"But you've got to have a balance of the team, this is top-level football."

Southgate was appointed permanent England boss in November 2016 and signed a new deal seven months ago that runs through until the end of 2024.

"I've got to manage in the way I see fit. I won't outstay my welcome but I think I can do a good job for the team, and I think we've done a good job for the team," he added. 

"I think we'll continue to improve the team, which we've done over a consistent period of time, and we're also developing young players that will leave England in a good place."

England followed up a 1-0 loss to Hungary with a 1-1 draw away at Germany in their opening two Nations League matches.

Only once before, between July and September 2018, have the Three Lions failed to win three in a row under Southgate.

Asked why he felt the need to bring up his future, Southgate said: "If you look back, I've always said it. 

"I am not going to be here forever, am I? There will be another England manager… that's how I have always felt about it. 

"The major part of that is how the players are. Do I still feel the players give everything and respond to what we do? Yes, I do."

The Buffalo Sabres will honour long-time goaltender Ryan Miller by retiring his No. 30 jersey next season.

Miller joined the Sabres in 2002-03 and spent 10-plus seasons with the franchise, becoming Buffalo's leader in wins (284) and games played by a goaltender (540).

He went on to eventually set the record for wins by an American-born goalie (391) and retired after the 2020-21 season.

The team made the announcement by releasing a video on Friday, which showed Miller being informed of the honour while touring the Sabres' arena with his wife, mother, sister and two children.

The announcement coincided with Miller's trip to Buffalo where he took part in a news conference to discuss being inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame later this year.

"Ryan Miller embodied what people in Western New York expect from those who wear a Buffalo Sabres uniform: on-ice excellence, commitment, and authentic love for this community," Sabres general manager Kevyn Adam said.

"We are thrilled for Ryan to take his rightful place alongside his fellow Sabres legends and look forward to celebrating his career."

Miller, who also played for the St Louis Blues, Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks, had his best season in 2009-10 when he won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender and earned Olympic MVP honours for helping the United States to a silver medal at the Vancouver Games.

Miller joins NHL Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek as Sabres goalies to have their numbers retired. Miller's 391 career wins rank 14th in NHL history, two ahead of Hasek.

Chelsea's technical and performance advisor Petr Cech believes the club did an "amazing job" at navigating the change of ownership last season.

The London club were thrown into uncertain waters when previous owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the United Kingdom government in relation to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

A consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital eventually won the battle to take charge of the club in late May, with Chelsea working under a special licence from the government to operate until then.

Despite the ongoing distractions, Thomas Tuchel led Chelsea to third place in the Premier League and to the EFL and FA Cup finals, where they lost on penalties to Liverpool on both occasions.

Speaking to Stats Perform at a media day ahead of his participation in Sunday's Soccer Aid charity match, former Chelsea goalkeeper Cech said: "Of course, [the ownership situation] is something you are not prepared for but you need to find your way to go through it.

"I think everybody at the football club did an amazing job to be competitive and achieving what we achieved last season.

"So, now we know where we are and obviously, we're preparing for the next season and we hope to be as strong as we can."

Cech also had words of encouragement for Blues fans about next season, with the new owners reportedly willing to provide Tuchel with money to spend on improving the squad.

"We plan to prepare and we will see where what we can do over the summer, but obviously we have our plans for what we want to do and hopefully we'll be successful."

Another area of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge is the future of striker Romelu Lukaku, who is being linked with a move back to Inter after a disappointing campaign.

Lukaku signed for Chelsea from Inter last year for a reported fee of £97.5million (€113.58m), but only managed 15 goals in 44 appearances (29 starts).

"I think he started very strongly and unfortunately had a long-term injury and then COVID, which obviously stopped the momentum for him," Cech said about the Belgium striker. 

"When you go through a long-term injury and then COVID, it takes some time before you go back. So you could see how strong he was at the end of the season when he was back fit.

"I think if he remains with this whole pre-season, then I believe he will have a strong season."

Another player who had an underwhelming campaign for Chelsea was Spanish midfielder Saul Niguez, who said goodbye to the club at the end of his loan spell from Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

"He's still a great player and he has a great personality and it's been great to have him, but at the same time, he had quite a difficult start before he adapted to English football and in a team where there's so much competition for places that he didn't play as much as he would like to," Cech said of Saul. 

"But we've been really happy to have him because, as I said, he's a great personality and a great player. 

"We obviously wish him well now wherever his next steps will go. But I think English football and the Premier League is a particular competition.

"Sometimes you need a bit of time to adapt. Some people adapt faster, some slower but as I said, he had a slower start and then the competition for places was tough so he didn't play as much as we'd like, but it still doesn't take away the qualities he has."

Didier Deschamps and Kylian Mbappe both insisted they are not worried despite France falling to the bottom of their Nations League group with a 1-1 draw in Austria.

Les Blues followed up their shock 2-1 home loss to Denmark and 1-1 draw against Croatia with another underwhelming display at Ernst Happel Stadion on Friday.

Substitute Mbappe scored seven minutes from time to cancel out Andreas Weimann's first-half opener, but France had to settle for another draw on their travels.

France are four points adrift of Group A1 leaders Denmark with three games to play and only one finals spot up for grabs, while Austria and Croatia are two points better off.

But despite their hopes of retaining the title they won in October with victory against Spain looking slim, Deschamps is trying his best to remain upbeat.

"I'm not worried. It is not the result we hoped for, and we are not at the top of our form or fitness, but we have given playing time to some younger players," he told TF1.

"We had so many chances in the second half. We controlled the game but were not efficient enough."

France have now conceded in 10 of their past 15 matches and would have been facing a second defeat in the space of three games if not for the impact of Mbappe.

The Paris Saint-German star, returning from a knee injury that kept him out of the Croatia game, has been involved in five goals in his past five France games as a substitute.

He scored from one of his two attempts, with the other forcing Patrick Pentz into a great save in the 87th minute to help the ball onto the frame of the goal.

Reflecting on another disappointing day for France in the June window, Mbappe said: "You should never be worried; always stay proud.

"We will take this point and work to beat Croatia on Monday. It's a shame I hit the bar. We now have to keep the momentum from the final few minutes here.

"I'm personally not at 100 per cent [fitness wise] but if the coach needs me then, with the holidays nearly here, I can push myself again."

France have now avoided defeat in the past 10 matches in which they have conceded the opening goal, winning four of those and drawing six.

The 2018 World Cup winners round off their 2021-22 campaign at home to Croatia in what is now effectively a must-win game, before facing Austria and Denmark in September.

"Today was difficult for us, but the quality was there," Deschamps added. "With a lot of changes between matches, we've not had much rhythm.

"But from what we did today, in terms of the chances created, the players should have been rewarded with a better result."