Kylian Mbappe partially trains two days before France Euro clash with Dutch
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France's Kylian Mbappe, wearing a band-aid after breaking his nose during his country's opening Euro 2024 win against Austria on June 17.
PHOTO: AFP
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PADERBORN, Germany - Kylian Mbappe missed most of a June 19 group training session two days ahead of France’s key Euro 2024 clash with the Netherlands in Leipzig, after breaking his nose during his country’s opening win against Austria.
The France captain suffered the injury when he collided with Kevin Danso towards the end of the 1-0 win on June 17, his nose connecting violently with the Austrian defender’s shoulder.
Mbappe, who provoked the own goal scored by Maximilian Woeber which decided the game in France’s favour, came off with his shirt covered in blood.
The 25-year-old missed the start of the team training session, before taking to the field sporting a plaster across his nose to train on his own with a fitness coach.
After exchanging some short passes with the fitness coach, the star striker then joined his France team-mates for a shooting drill.
On June 18, the team’s coaching staff indicated that Mbappe remained “doubtful” for the clash against the Dutch.
The French Football Federation said Mbappe had undergone tests at a hospital in Duesseldorf before rejoining the France squad at their base in Paderborn.
They added he would not require surgery and said that the new Real Madrid signing would have a mask fitted to enable him to return to action “after a period of treatment”.
Should Mbappe be unavailable, it is likely he will be replaced by all-time leading France goalscorer Olivier Giroud for the June 21 match.
France and Netherlands are joint leaders of Group D after both sides won their opening matches, with the Dutch defeating Poland 2-1 on June 16. AFP
