France have shifted toward a more aggressive attacking approach under Deschamps in his final tournament as national team manager. Deschamps has selected nine forwards, including a new "Fab Four" of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Rayan Cherki, plus additional attacking options like Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Maghnes Akliouche, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Marcus Thuram.
Rabiot explains that his role differs significantly from his position at AC Milan. "I have spoken with the manager and my role on the pitch with France is different to that which I have at Milan," Rabiot said. "At this level, balance plays a big part. We all have a role. You have to be humble about that."
The midfielder's task is to provide defensive structure while allowing attacking talent to operate freely. "I try to do my work as well as possible to allow the players in front and behind to perform as well as possible," Rabiot said. "Attackers and goalscorers are valued more than midfielders or defenders. There is no problem about that."
Former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has cautioned that the danger of France's attacking-heavy setup is "becoming a bit offensively unbalanced," a concern Rabiot acknowledges and expects to help address through his midfield positioning.
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