“Everything is going in the right direction so that Kylian Mbappé can be available” against the Netherlands, announces Didier Deschamps

The Blues coach gave a positive trend on Thursday, three days after his captain’s broken nose.

Will Kylian Mbappé start against the Netherlands, Friday June 21, for the French team’s second match at Euro 2024? If the person concerned was replaced by Antoine Griezmann in the pre-match press conference, Didier Deschamps did not rule out the possibility at all, despite the pessimism of the last few days following the broken nose of the captain of the Blues against Austria. “Everything is going in the right direction so that Kylian Mbappé can be available”replied the coach to the first question he received on the eve of the match.

“Available” does not mean that the third top scorer in the history of the Blues starts the match, or even that he comes off the bench. The coach has every interest in leaving doubt and forcing the Dutch to prepare for several scenarios. Antoine Griezmann also went in this direction: “Kylian is doing very well. His nose has deflated a little. We will see at the last moment, depending on his sensations”.

Kylian Mbappé was in any case present at training on the pitch at the Red Bull Arena on the eve of the match, with a personalized blue-white-red mask which attracted the attention of all the cameras. He kept putting it back in place, as if embarrassed by this protection, mainly designed to create a nice communication stunt. On it are inscribed the player’s initials and the two stars of the French team, symbols of the two world champion titles.

If we are to believe the UEFA regulations, he should not be able to play with it, if he has to set foot on the pitch on Friday: “When headgear (except goalkeeper caps) is worn, it must be black or the dominant color of the jersey.”. The mask worn on Thursday did not resemble the one worn by football players in recent seasons. It seemed less sophisticated. “The medical supervision has planned everything”breathes the staff of the France team.

“Everyone is ready. It’s group management and I’m not going to make a special case.”

Didier Deschamps

at a press conference

For Didier Deschamps, the uncertainty around the physical condition of his player does not represent a disturbance, unlike the political context, which interfered with the approach to the first match. “Internally there is tranquility and serenityhe assured. It’s nothing comparable. Of the eight questions I was asked, seven and a half did not concern the field“. But the coach did not appreciate the questions concerning Kylian Mbappé any more, particularly when he was asked if he had received his protective mask: “If he plays, Kylian will wear a mask. You don’t need to know how, you have enough infiltrations”.

As for the rest of the group, no problems were reported 24 hours before the meeting. All 25 players were present on the pitch. Spared the day before, Theo Hernandez, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano trained without reservation.