Kylian Mbappe remained on the bench for the entire 90 minutes of France’s 0-0 draw with the Netherlands at Euro 2024 on Friday. Just days after breaking his nose in the squad’s first game of the tournament.
Mbappe, 25, clashed with Austria’s Kevin Danso in the 2nd half of France’s 1-0 victory on Monday. France’s confederation confirmed Mbappe would not require surgery, but he will wear a mask for the rest of the tournament. Whether he will play against the Netherlands in any capacity is uncertain. Didier Deschamps’ France side made only one change in the lineup, with Aurelien Tchouameni replacing Mbappe in midfield. Antoine Griezmann moved forward to form an attacking trio with Ousmane Dembele and Marcus Thuram.
France’s Kylian Mbappe benched due to injury
Deschamps left Mbappe on the bench for the country’s final group-stage game against Poland on Tuesday. France and the Netherlands lead the group standings with four points each. Austria has three, and Poland has no points and cannot advance.
Mbappe trained wearing a mask with the colors of the French flag, and Didier Deschamps said: “Everything is going properly, after the shock we had.” If Deschamps chooses to bring Mbappe on, he will only be permitted to wear a single-color mask under UEFA rules. Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands manager, said in a press conference on Thursday that his team was ready to face a quality opponent irrespective of the new Real Madrid player’s fitness. “France is such a strong team that if Mbappe is not playing, the replacement will be a great player as well,” says Koeman.
France and the Netherlands tied in Group D with three points each. The Dutch came from behind to beat Poland 2-1, while France needed an own goal to defeat Austria.
