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France star Kylian Mbappé reportedily will not take the pitch Friday against the Netherlands in his team’s next Euro 2024 fixture, according to ESPN’s Julien Laurens.
Mbappé was subbed off in the 90th minute of Monday’s 1-0 win over Austria after suffering a broken nose.
The newly minted Real Madrid star has at least found the humor in his situation. He solicited ideas for protective masks in a post on X:
From a neutral standpoint, the clash between French and Dutch will be a lesser spectacle without Mbappé. It would’ve been fascinating to watch the chess match between he and Netherlands defender Virgil van Dijk.
The victory over Austria gave Les Bleus more freedom to be cautious with the 25-year-old, though. In major international tournaments, winning your first match of the group stage means you have one foot in the knockout phase already. That’s especially true in the European Championship since four of the six third-place finishers advance.
Even if France stumbles against the Netherlands, Didier Deschamps’ squad should have enough firepower to handle Poland independent of Mbappé’s availability.
Olivier Giroud continues to be an effective striker deep into his 30s. He had 15 goals in 35 Serie A matches for AC Milan. Randal Kolo Muani had a forgettable first season with Paris Saint-Germain but would be a solid replacement under the circumstances.
Deschamps could also replace Mbappé with PSG’s Bradley Barcola or Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman if he wants more pace out wide, with Giroud, Kolo Muani or Marcus Thuram playing through the center.
Mbappé’s broken nose is obvious a setback for France. It may not, however, derail the team’s bid to claim a third European title.