France take on Netherlands in their second Euro 2024 fixture today and face an anxious wait on the fitness of talisman Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe broke his nose during France’s opening win over Austria on Monday night but the superstar forward returned to training on Thursday sporting a blue, white and red mask in display of the French tricolore.
However, he may be banned from wearing that specific mask due to Uefa rules that state “medical equipment worn on the playing field must be of a single colour” and “must not allow the team or manufacturer to be identified”. According to reports in France, the superstar forward was presented with a range of other masks to wear, some of which were plain and would be suited to Uefa’s regulations.
Mbappe is hopeful of being involved against the Netherlands, with head coach Didier Deschamps confirming that “things are moving in the right direction” when asked about the 25-year-old’s availability the day before the game. Both sides will be looking to build on narrow opening wins, with the Dutch beating Poland 2-1 thanks to Wout Weghorst’s 83rd-minute goal and Les Bleus downing a stubborn Austria 1-0 after a Max Wober own goal.
Follow all the latest on Mbappe and then updates from the game itself with our blog below:
