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French superstar Kylian Mbappé will not need surgery for his broken nose despite initial fears, France Football Federation president Philippe Diallo told ESPN’s Julien Laurens.
He is reportedly considered questionable for the team’s upcoming match against the Netherlands on Friday.
Mbappé was subbed out of his country’s 1-0 win over Austria at the Euros on Monday after suffering the injury following a collision on a header attempt.
After heading to the hospital with initial reports he would require surgery, Fabrizio Romano reported he will avoid any procedure. His status for the coming games has not yet been determined.
Laurens provided more information:
“He’s got a really bad nose,” manager Didier Deschamps said after the match. “We’ll have to wait and see, the medical staff are dealing with it. We’ll have to see what’s going to be done and then how long it will take. It’s very bad news for us tonight.
“Obviously, the French team with or without him, this is not the same thing. I hope he can be there.”
The player later posted on social media about wearing a mask:
Mbappé attempted to remain in the match after suffering the injury in the 85th minute, went down again in the 90th minute, was given a yellow card and was subbed off for Olivier Giroud, all in one sequence.
For France, one of the favorites at this year’s Euros, it’s a concerning situation on a number of fronts.
For one, if the injury is serious enough to cost Mbappé time, the country’s hopes at winning its first Euros title since 2000 take a major hit. Not only is he the team’s captain, but he’s also its best and most dangerous player. His loss would be enormous.
France didn’t draw an easy group, with matchups against the Netherlands and Poland to follow. It’s possible that three teams could move on to the knockout phase, but France’s expectations are more than simply escaping the group. The match against the Dutch will likely decide the Group D winner, and failing to top it could lead to a difficult matchup in the round of 16.
But if Mbappé does return—likely donning a face mask—he’s now on a yellow card, a major concern in its own right. Yellow cards don’t get wiped until the quarterfinals, meaning that another yellow before then would cost him a match.
It would be an equal disappointment for player and country. One of the few blights remaining on Mbappé’s résumé is his lack of a goal at the Euros to this point in his career. It appeared he would be ending that drought early in the second half, only to completely bottle a 1v1 with the goalkeeper.
It’s the sort of chance Mbappé normally buries, but Monday truly wasn’t his day. France will be hoping it wasn’t also the end of his tournament.