Kylian Mbappé is expected to start and serve as captain for France’s final Euro 2024 group match on Tuesday against Poland, according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens.
The 25-year-old Mbappé broke his nose during France’s opening match, a 1-0 win over Austria. He avoided surgery, but did not play against the Netherlands despite being on the bench for their 0-0 draw.
Mbappé will wear a protective mask for remainder of the tournament, which could affect his vision on the field.
“No problems with breathing but the way he sees, yes,” France manager Didier Deschamps said Monday. “For those who play with a mask, it’s not a constraint but it does limit your vision. He wears it because he needs to protect his face in certain incidents that could occur.”
Deschamps reportedly to his team Mbappé would return for Tuesday’s match after the Real Madrid star scored twice during a Saturday behind-closed-doors practice match.
France is currently tied with the Netherlands atop Group D with 4 points. Austria is right behind them with 3 points and Poland, already eliminated, is at the bottom of the group with 0 points.
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout portion of the tournament. The four best third-place teams out of the six total groups will also move on to complete the round of 16.
Source Agencies
