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:
Everything you need to know about Netherlands v France
While both nations won their opener, it was Didier Deschamps’ side who had the tougher encounter and ultimately only beat Austria by virtue of an own goal – and it was a costly victory too, with Kylian Mbappe exiting the match with a broken nose and no return date in sight.
The Dutch were electric but wasteful at times during their own win over Poland, leaving it late to claim the points through Wout Weghorst’s winner.
This encounter has the potential to be the best clash of the big nations in the group stage and might tell us much about how far each nation can go.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match:
Luke Baker21 June 2024 11:39
Kylian Mbappe injury latest as special mask set to be banned due to Euro 2024 rule
Kylian Mbappe unveiled a specially designed mask to protect his broken nose as the France captain targets a return to the pitch against the Netherlands at Euro 2024, but he may be banned from wearing it due to Uefa rules.
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, Uefa rules state that “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, Mbappe was presented with a range of other masks to wear, some of which were plain and would be suited to Uefa’s regulations.
Luke Baker21 June 2024 11:25
Netherlands v France
Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of France’s clash with the Netherlands at Euro 2024. Both sides are looking to build on narrow opening wins but tournament favourites France face an anxious wait on the fitness of Kylian Mbappe.
The superstar forward broke his nose in the opening match against Austria but may be able to play while sporting a mask.
Stick with us for full live coverage
Luke Baker21 June 2024 10:35