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Kylian Mbappe will wear a mask when he returns to play at Euro 2024.
The France captain, 25, fractured his nose in their first game of the tournament.
He avoided surgery but following medical assessment it has been determined he must wear protective equipment to safely return to the field.
The Real Madrid striker was pictured in a mask with the French national colours of red, white and blue — the tricolore — and the French Football Federation (FFF) logo on it during training on Thursday.
France play Netherlands in the second game of Group D on Friday.
Des idées de masques ?
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) June 17, 2024
What happened to Mbappe?
Mbappe fractured his nose in France’s opening game of their tournament, against Austria on Monday.
He sustained the injury in an aerial collision with Austria defender Kevin Danso with blood seen coming from his face and on his playing shirt.
Mbappe received medical treatment before leaving in the closing stages of the game in Dusseldorf, being replaced by Olivier Giroud.
Mbappe’s collision with Danso (Lars Baron/Getty Images)
What are UEFA’s rules on masks?
UEFA has very specific rules on clothing and other equipment worn while playing.
It reads: “Medical equipment (e.g. head protection, face-masks, casts, kneepads or knee braces, elbow pads): Medical equipment worn on the field of play must be a single colour and free of team and manufacturer identification.
“Items worn on legs and arms should be the same colour as the corresponding playing attire item (e.g. elbow pads or tape used on the arm the same colour as shirt sleeves and kneepads the same colour as shorts).”
Any equipment has to be approved by UEFA so it is not possible for Mbappe to take the field wearing a mask that does not adhere to those regulations. The FFF will need to ask UEFA and clear whatever mask he chooses to wear.
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What mask will Mbappe wear then?
Mbappe has a number of masks prepared, all of a single colour, which will work inside UEFA’s regulations, the FFF has confirmed to The Athletic.
The FFF knew of the guidance that must be followed before getting the masks made. He also has different sizes prepared.
Kylian Mbappe is wearing a red, white and blue mask in #LesBleus training @TheAthleticFC pic.twitter.com/dBsNlBQs5D
— Charlotte Harpur (@charlotteharpur) June 20, 2024
Will Mbappe play against Netherlands?
On Wednesday, Mbappe teased the prospect of him taking part in France’s second game of the group stage with a cryptic message on social message.
“Without risks, there are no victories,” he wrote on Instagram, sparking speculation he would be available.
“Everything’s going in the right direction,” Didier Deschamps then said at his news conference on Thursday.
“After this major shock that he’s had, with the consequences of course. “Yesterday, as you saw, he was able to go out and do a bit of activity. And that’ll be the case tonight too.
“So things are moving in the right direction so that he can be available tomorrow. We’ll make sure he’s available, I repeat.”
UEFA regulations require teams to confirm their teams at least an hour before kick-off of each game.
France face Netherlands at 8pm BST (3pm ET) in Leipzig on Friday.
A win will see them progress to the next phase of the tournament. They then play Poland in their final group game in Dortmund on Tuesday.
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(Top photo: Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)
