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.
And Mbappe returned to the France squad ahead of Les Bleus’ clash against the Netherlands in Leipzig, in what was one of the standout matches of the Euro 2024 group stages.
Mbappe was named on the bench by France head coach Didier Deschamps and posted a picture of the black protective mask he will wear should he come onto the pitch.
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?”
According to reports in France, Mbappe was presented with a range of other masks to wear, some of which were plain and would be suited to Uefa’s regulations. RMC Sport reported France will check the guidelines during a technical meeting with Uefa before the Netherlands match.
Mbappe pushed to be involved against the Netherlands in Leipzig, with head coach Didier Deschamps confirming that “things are moving in the right direction” when asked about the 25-year-old’s availability the day before the game.
“Everything is going in the right direction after this major shock with the consequences,” Deschamps said. “Yesterday he went out, he did a little activity. This will also be the case this evening. Things are moving in the right direction to ensure that he is available tomorrow.”
“A fractured nose isn’t the end of the world,” midfielder Adrien Rabiot said Wednesday. “Kylian should be with us pretty soon.”
