Kylian Mbappé will start and serve as captain for France’s final Euro 2024 group match on Tuesday against Poland, the French Football Federation announced.
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.
Kylian Mbappé receives a loud ovation as he takes the field for France- his first time back in the starting XI since their EURO opener 🇫🇷🗣️ pic.twitter.com/IwgJXSw7zB
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 25, 2024
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 told his team Mbappé would return for Tuesday’s match after the Real Madrid star scored twice during a practice match behind closed doors on Saturday.
France is currently tied with the Netherlands atop Group D with four points. Austria is right behind them with three points and Poland, already eliminated, is at the bottom of the group with zero 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
