Kylian Mbappé Benched in Euro 2024 France-Netherlands Clash Due to Injury

In a surprising move that caught many fans off guard, Kylian Mbappé was not included in France's starting lineup for the European Championship clash against the Netherlands this Friday. The decision by coach Didier Deschamps to leave Mbappé among the substitutes comes after the forward suffered a broken nose during France's opening 1-0 victory over Austria on Monday.

Despite the injury, Mbappé had participated in Thursday's training session wearing a protective face mask, leading to optimism from Deschamps regarding his star player's ability to participate in the game. However, concerns over the physicality of the Dutch defense ultimately led to the decision to not start Mbappé, opting instead for a front trio of Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram, and Ousmane Dembélé.

Griezmann, who played in a deeper role against Austria, is expected to be positioned closer to the goal due to Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni's return from injury. Upon arriving at the stadium, Mbappé appeared in good spirits, donning sunglasses and without a bandage on his nose, a departure from his appearance during Wednesday's light training session.

Before the game, he was seen wearing a black face mask during warmups and engaging lightly with teammates while adjusting his mask, indicating his readiness despite not starting. The match against the Netherlands is crucial for both teams as they were tied with three points each in Group D. France has historically dominated this matchup, winning seven of their last eight encounters.

Earlier on Friday, Austria secured a 3-1 victory over Poland in another Group D game. This sets the stage for an intense competition within the group, with France looking to continue its winning streak despite Mbappé's limited role.