Alkass Digital
France striker Kylian Mbappé is set to be available for their Euro 2024 group game against the Netherlands on Friday despite suffering a broken nose.
Coach Didier Deschamps stopped short of saying his captain would definitely start but told a news conference on Thursday: “Things are going in the right direction. We will make sure he is available.” Mbappé later trained wearing a mask with the French tricolore.
He fractured his nose in the 1-0 opening win over Austria but is likely to wear a carbon fibre mask in Leipzig to protect the nose, with no operation yet scheduled.
“He’s doing very well,” emphasized team-mate Antoine Griezmann, adding that the swelling had gone down a little.
The World Cup runner-up resumed training in good spirits on Wednesday, albeit only individually and with a large plaster on his nose.
Meanwhile, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said “not everything depends” on whether Mbappé plays in the Euro 2024 group clash with favourites France on Friday.
The striker is set to wear a mask if he starts the Group D game in Leipzig after breaking his nose in the opening 1-0 win over Austria.
Koeman knows there is little he can do to stop the 25-year-old if the new Real Madrid signing plays so his tactics do not need to change.
“Of course we know that he can decide a game on his own, he also had a big influence in the last two games,” added the coach, referring to the four goals he scored against the Dutch in Euro qualifiers.
Koeman’s team won 2-1 against Poland in their first group game.
“The three points against Poland give us peace of mind,” said Koeman. “When we have the ball, we have to handle it well. We have to be patient and we have to defend well.”