PADERBORN, Germany (AP) — France national team captain Kylian Mbappé is adjusting to wearing his new protective mask ahead of a possible return at Euro 2024 on Tuesday against Poland, teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni said.
Mbappé was left on the bench in France’s goalless draw with the Netherlands on Friday after suffering a fracture to his nose during the 1-0 victory in their opening game against Austria and has been fitted with a protective mask while the injury is being repaired. injury.
“It’s no secret that he is aiming for the next game, and as for the mask, he has started to get used to it,” Tchouaméni said on Sunday.
“Obviously he would have preferred to play without it, but I think if you ask the doctor, he won’t put it as an option. Nothing will change for him, we know that he will be ready as soon as he is on the court, and he will contribute a lot to us.”
Midfielder Tchouaméni and Mbappé will also be teammates in their club when the European Championship ends, as soon as the forward joins his new team, Real Madrid.
Tchouaméni mentioned that France has been working on finishing after the world runners-up scored only one goal in their first two group stage matches at Euro 2024.
“We know that we have world-class forwards, and after a while they are going to score, and it’s not just about the forwards, it’s also about us, whether we’re midfielders or even defenders, it’s a collective effort,” Tchouaméni said. “But being more accurate in front of goal is one of our areas to improve.”
