French football player Kylian Mbappe, who suffered a broken nose during the UEFA European Football Championship (Euro) 2024, has trained wearing a specially made mask. Coach of the French national football team, Didier Deschamps, hinted at the possibility of Mbappe playing in the second round of Group D against the Netherlands.
On June 21, a day before the match against the Netherlands, Mbappe participated in the team training in Leipzig, Germany, wearing a mask painted in the colors of the French flag: blue, white, and red.
During the tournament’s first match against Austria on June 18, Mbappe broke his nose when he collided with Kevin Danso’s shoulder in the second half while competing for an aerial ball. Fortunately, Mbappe was not diagnosed as needing surgery and decided to continue playing in the Euro tournament with a protective mask.
France will face the Netherlands on June 22. Both have recorded one win each for the top spot in the group. Initially, it seemed that Mbappe would be absent from this game, but his participation increased as he could complete the team training without issues.
Deschamps said, “Mbappe has recovered well and is in a condition where he can play in tomorrow’s match,” adding, “Everything is going well in the right direction.”
Mbappe has scored 47 goals in 80 A-matches and has recorded 12 goals on the World Cup stage. However, he has yet to score in the Euro tournament. With his likely participation in the match against the Netherlands, Mbappe aims for his debut goal in the Euro against the Orange Legion.