Sign up to Miguel Delaney’s Reading the Game newsletter sent straight to your inbox for free
Sign up to Miguel’s Delaney’s free weekly newsletter
France captain Kylian Mbappe will wear a mask throughout the rest of Euro 2024 after breaking his nose during the team’s opening victory against Austria.
The superstar forward was left covered in blood after suffering the brutal injury when his face collided into the shoulder of Austria defender Kevin Danso, later leaving the stadium in an ambulance.
Subsequent tests confirmed Mbappe did not require immediate surgery and he returned to training two days later while sporting a protective covering in the colours of the French flag, alleviating concerns that he would be ruled out of the tournament.
The 25-year-old posted a message on his Instagram declaring that “without risks, there are no victories” in a huge hint that he was prepared to return to the pitch with his broken nose. He has since acknowledged he detests playing with the mask, but had it in place during the last-16 encounter against Belgium, against Portugal in the quarter-finals and against Spain in the semi-finals.
Mbappe was an unused substitute as France drew 0-0 with the Netherlands in the group stages, but head coach Didier Deschamps revealed he wanted to play against Poland in the Group D finale thereafter – where Mbappe netted a penalty in a 1-1 draw.
The forward took part in a training match prior to that too, scoring twice against the under-21 side of German club Paderborn while wearing his mask, in his first competitive action since breaking his nose.
France got to work preparing a mask as soon as the extent of Mbappe’s injury became clear, with the golden boot winner from the 2022 World Cup crucial to their hopes of winning the Euros.
The blue-white-red mask in the colours of the French tricolore was banned, however, due to Uefa rules that state any “medical equipment worn on the playing field must be of a single colour” and “must not allow the team or manufacturer to be identified”.
Mbappe broke his nose when his face collided with the shoulder of Austria defender Danso. Blood was seen pouring from Mbappe’s badly swollen nose, turning parts of his white France jersey red.
The injury overshadowed France’s opening win against Austria in Dusseldorf with Mbappe, who was booked after re-entering the pitch following treatment, taken to hospital shortly after full-time.
The new Real Madrid forward joked about the injury on social media, asking his followers for “any ideas for masks?”
Source: independent.co.uk
