Will play, will not play? Suspense still hovers around the participation of Kylian Mbappé in the meeting between the France team and the Netherlands, Friday June 21 in Euro 2024. The attacker with a broken nose was expected to forfeit at the start of the week. But between his motivation and his protective mask, the hope of seeing him with the Blues against the Oranje is real.
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Playing a final phase match without Kylian Mbappé is a situation that the France team is no longer used to. 2018 World Cup, Euro 2021 and 2022 World Cup: in each major competition since his international debut in 2017, Kylian Mbappé has played every match (18 matches, including 16 as a starter). After his broken nose suffered Monday during the first match of the Blues against Austria in this Euro 2024this series is threatened.
The new Madrilenian does not need an operation, at least immediately. But from Tuesday, several media assured that he would not be fielded by Didier Deschamps against the Netherlands on Friday, for the shock of Group D of this European Nations Championship. Mbappé would even possibly have to give up the last match of the first round against Poland, in order not to take any risks.
Perhaps these were hasty conclusions. In any case, on Wednesday and Thursday, no one in the blue clan announced the captain’s package. He trained away from the group on Wednesday, with a bandage on his nose. And Thursday, on the eve of the meeting with the Dutch, Kylian Mbappé trained again, while showing off his blue-white-red protective mask, decorated with his initials KM, a rooster and his number 10 surrounded by two stars.
The Netherlands fear Mbappé as much as his replacements
The scorer’s participation in the match against the Netherlands remains a big mystery. The confidences of recent days tend to nourish cautious optimism. On Wednesday, William Saliba assured that his teammate “ was better “. Adrien Rabiot added that a package was “not not acted “. Then, on Thursday, Didier Deschamps gave a little more hope by confiding: “ Everything is going in the right direction. (…) We will make sure that it is available. »
Very smart, then, who would know if Kylian Mbappé will be fit and aligned against the Netherlands. In all this excitement, we almost forgot that Friday’s meeting is a big poster full of suspense. Because if France dominated Austria on Monday (1-0), the Batavians also won against Poland (2-1) 24 hours earlier. Mbappé or not, there will be a lot at stake in this match. The winner would secure their ticket to the round of 16 and could approach their last group match without pressure.
On the Dutch side, we try not to focus on the Mbappé case. “ Only Deschamps knows, we will have to wait », said Ronald Koeman, the coach, at a press conference. “ But France is so strong, even if he doesn’t play… His replacement will be very strong too “, he added. If Kylian Mbappé were to give up, coach Deschamps would indeed have alternatives of choice, between Olivier Giroud to replace him position for position, Marcus Thuram for a refocusing, Randal Kolo Muani to come off the bench or even Antoine Griezmann, used to playing in the middle now but still capable of evolving at the forefront. Perhaps no adjustments will be necessary if “KM” is on the attack. The mystery remains.