France striker Kylian Mbappé will almost certainly have to wear the mask protecting his broken nose for the rest of the Euro 2024 tournament. This is the verdict of French coach Didier Deschamps:rance striker Kylian Mbappé will almost certainly have to wear the mask protecting his broken nose for the rest of the Euro 2024 tournament. This is the verdict of French coach Didier Deschamps, even if the 1984 and 2000 champions go all the way to the final in Berlin on 14th July, German News Agency, dpa, reported on Tuesday.

“He has to get used to it because he must wear the mask for the next couple of weeks,” Deschamps told reporters after the 1-0 win over Belgium in the last 16.

He said it is not easy playing with a mask, but noted that Mbappé is already making progress. “You have got the sweat aspect and we know sweat can get in his eyes. It can affect his vision. He says it is like he is seeing things in 3D. Everything in front of him is fine, but there’s a delay with his peripheral vision.”

France’s captain
and main striker has only scored a penalty in the 1-1 draw with Poland in the group stage so far, having broken his nose in the opening 1-0 victory over Austria, where an own goal settled the game.

He sat out the 0-0 draw with the Dutch. Mbappé said on the eve of the clash with the Belgians that it was “terrible” trying to play with a mask. As it was, another own goal – this time from Belgium’s Jan Vertonghen – meant he did not need to play especially well as his side progressed. It was substitute striker Randal Kolo Muani who got the shot away before Vertonghen’s 85th-minute deflection.

Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo stand in France’s way in the last eight.”The best teams are here, and the games are high intensity,” Deschamps said.

“We’ve always got the capability to score more. It has been tricky for us since the start of the Euros, but we have always had chances.”:

Source: Emirates News Agency