France may have prevailed on the pitch 1-0 over Austria at the European Championships on Monday, but Kylian Mbappe left the game slightly worse for wear as a result.
Mbappe and Austria’s Kevin Danso collided mid-air late in the Group D game at Dusseldorf Arena, leaving the Frenchman bloodied on the pitch. Upon review, it appears as though the Austrian’s shoulder make solid contact with Mbappe’s nose, prompting the medical team to make a trip onto the field.
“We’re worried to see Kylian leave the field like that,” France midfielder N’Golo Kante told reporters after the game. “We still don’t know what the situation is. … We hope that it’s not too severe and that he’s back with us for the rest of the competition.”
After initially believing that the injury would require surgery to correct, France has reportedly walked back those fears, with sources indicating that surgery is now off the table. After leaving the hospital just after 1:00am local time, Mbappe is now back with his teammates.
Although surgery isn’t believed to be in the cards, the 25 year old is currently having a custom mask crafted to protect his nose for the remainder of the tournament. His status for Friday’s match vs. the Netherlands is currently questionable.
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