Will Kylian Mbappé play against the Netherlands? Broken nose injury recovery

France’s European Championship opener ended with a 1-0 victory against Austria but their win was undermined by an injury to Kylian Mbappé that appeared to threaten his participation going forward.

The Real Madrid new boy clattered into Austrian centre-back Kevin Danso while competing for the ball in the air and broke his nose. He lay on the field with blood gushing from his nose and had to be substituted, before being taken to Düsseldorf University Hospital to undergo tests.

The broken nose diagnosis was confirmed during X-ray examinations at the hospital, announced in a French Football Federation (FFF) statement issued in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

How long will Kylian Mbappé be out for?

The FFF confirmed that, although Mbappé does face a brief spell on the sidelines, he will not need to undergo surgery immediately. An operation would have kept him away from the playing field for at least ten days, a lengthy absence in the context of a month-long competition.

The French Federation has confirmed that a mask will be made for him so that he can return as swiftly as possible. However, barring a last-minute surprise, Mbappé will not play on Friday against the Netherlands in Leipzig. The Frenchman should be fit to feature in the final round of group stage fixtures against Poland next Tuesday.

News of Mbappé’s likely return will soothe the nerves of an expectant French support who watched their team toil to victory in the tournament opener.

Having already played their first fixture French head coach Didier Deschamps would have been unable to call up a replacement, even if Mbappé had been ruled out for the entirety of the competition. Even in this supremely talented squad, there is no one that could claim to be an adequate replacement for the 25-year-old and his absence would give opposition teams real confidence.