Kylian Mbappé’s injury—a broken nose—is a significant worry for France as they progress towards the semi-finals of the European Championship. Despite the French captain disregarding the impact of his mediocre performance on his morale, his relevance to the team’s success is monumental. His underwhelming display against Portugal in the quarter-final held in Hamburg ended with him requesting to be substituted during extra-time.
He remarked, “Being a footballer comes with its own unique challenges, but it’s crucial that one continues to participate actively and provide consistent support to the team,” following France’s semi-finals qualification in a victorious penalty shootout against Portugal. He continued, “I have always maintained that our victory matters the most, regardless of the circumstances. Though my contribution stands at one goal, we have qualified for the semi-finals, an achievement that brings me immense joy.”
The blow he suffered on his nose in the match against Austria that opened the championship has considerably constrained Mbappé’s play. He managed to miss merely one game as a result, however, the aftermath of colliding with defender Kevin Danso while going after a high ball has been significant. On Friday’s match, despite several attempts on the target, his play lacked his usual explosive energy and precision that has positioned him as France’s star striker.
Playing while wearing a mask, he confessed, adversely affected his peripheral vision and caused sweat accumulation, making it a discomforting experience. The mask’s necessity to protect his nose is undeniable; however, an incident on Friday hinted at the possibility of the injury forcing him to leave the game. He was struck on the face by Rúben Dias, which kept him down for an extended period leaving behind his mask and holding his injured nose.
Although the ball only hit the side face, the painful impact was evident. However, Mbappé eventually managed to get back on his feet and continue the game, albeit with a noticeably receded presence, especially in aerial battles, as the goalless match entered extra-time.
“At the close of the regular game time, the coach and I had a discussion. We concluded that I’ll try to push through a bit longer. But halfway through the extra-time, I communicated to him my exhaustion and that I couldn’t go on. He conceded,” Mbappé disclosed.
Despite Kylian Mbappé’s subpar performances, it is improbable that Didier Deschamps will bench him for Tuesday’s game against Spain in Munich. In recent news, Deschamps did sideline another key player, Antoine Griezmann, during a group stage match. The coaching staff expressed their displeasure on Friday when journalists repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of both players. Deschamps strongly commented, “Despite their individual form, Antoine and Kylian are not performing to the best of their abilities, yet we have still advanced. Our unity as a team and our shared strength remains intact.”
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