Kylian Mbappe, the captain of the French national team, is facing a race against time to recover from a broken nose sustained during France’s opening Euro 2024 match against Austria. The injury occurred when Mbappe collided with Austrian defender Kevin Danso, resulting in a violent impact between his nose and Danso’s shoulder. The incident left Mbappe with a bloody nose and he was forced to leave the field.
Despite the injury, Mbappe rejoined the French squad at their training base in Paderborn after undergoing tests at a hospital in Duesseldorf. He missed most of Wednesday’s training session, but participated in a shooting drill after training on his own with a fitness coach while wearing a plaster across his nose.
The French Football Federation confirmed Mbappe will not require surgery but will need a protective mask to facilitate his return to the field following a period of treatment. His participation in Friday’s crucial clash against the Netherlands remains uncertain, with Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading scorer, likely to replace him if Mbappe is unavailable.
France and Netherlands are currently joint leaders of Group D, having both won their opening matches. The Dutch defeated Poland 2-1 on Sunday. The outcome of the match against the Netherlands will be crucial for both teams as they look to secure their place in the knockout stages of the tournament.
