Mbappe Expects Broken Nose To Draw Belgium's Attention At Euro 2024

Kylian Mbappe anticipates that his broken nose will make him a target for Belgium at Euro 2024 on Monday. France faces the Red Devils in Dusseldorf for their last-16 match, with Mbappe still not fully recovered from a nose injury sustained against Austria.

Mbappe missed the Group D draw with the Netherlands but returned wearing a new face mask to score from the penalty spot against Poland. He acknowledged that his facial injury and subsequent protection make him likely to face physical challenges in the knockout stages.

"I think that if you're playing with a broken nose and you haven't had your nose operated yet, you're a target," Mbappe told a pre-match press conference on Sunday. "I knew what I was signing up for when I decided that I wasn't going to go home and that I wasn't going to get the operation done and that I was going to play."

The Real Madrid-bound forward expressed his readiness to endure pain for his team. "And maybe I'll get muscled a little bit and it might hurt. But I'm ready to give everything I can for this jersey and to help France go as far as possible. If this means that someone's going to hit my nose, so be it. It's already broken."

Mbappe's injury occurred during a clash in the Austria area as France narrowly won 1-0 in their opener, which remains Les Bleus' only victory at this Euros. The France captain was initially concerned about whether he would feature again in Germany after the incident.

"When I got the blow to the face, I didn't really understand what was going on," Mbappe added. "I didn't feel that my nose was broken. It was when I looked at the goalkeeper and saw his face, I thought 'something's wrong here'."

Struggles with Face Mask

As for the face mask, Mbappe is still adjusting to playing with it ahead of the meeting with Belgium. "Actually it's awful, horrible playing with a mask," he said. "I keep changing masks because every time there's something that bothers me, there's something that's not quite right."

"It's quite difficult to play with a mask because it limits your field of vision, your sweat clogs up. The first few days I felt like I was wearing 3D glasses," he explained. "As soon as I can get rid of that mask, I will. But now I don't have a choice. I can't play without it."

Despite these challenges, Mbappe remains committed to performing at his best for France. "I hate it. It's really annoying and I've changed it more than five times. But I'm not making excuses because this is the only way I can play."

Les Bleus are gearing up for Monday #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/z3G0gupGnl

June 29, 2024

Initially, Mbappe found it difficult due to lack of sleep and numerous appointments following his injury. "When I got back to the dressing room, with everything happening around me, I thought that I was going home," he said.

"It was really difficult to sit on the bench against the Netherlands knowing that you're incapable of helping," he continued. "I felt quite helpless." However, he expressed relief at being able to play against Poland.

The French team is preparing intensely for their upcoming match against Belgium, hoping to advance further in Euro 2024 despite Mbappe's injury challenges.