Kylian Mbappé is getting used to his new mask ahead of France’s game against Poland, teammate says

PADERBORN, Germany (AP) — France captain Kylian Mbappé is getting used to wearing his new protective mask ahead of a possible return to play at Euro 2024 against Poland on Tuesday, his teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni said.

Mbappé sat out France’s 0-0 draw with the Netherlands on Friday after breaking his nose in the team’s opening 1-0 win over Austria and has been fitted with a protective mask as the injury heals.

“It’s no secret that he’s really looking forward to the next game, and as far as the mask is concerned, he’s starting to get used to it,” Tchouaméni said Sunday.

“Obviously he would have preferred to play without it, but I think if you ask the doctor, he’s not going to give him the choice. It’s not going to change anything for him, we know he’ll be ready as soon as he’s on the pitch, and he’s going to bring us a lot.”

Midfielder Tchouaméni and Mbappé will also be club teammates after the European Championship when the striker joins up with his new club Real Madrid.

Tchouaméni suggested France was working on its finishing after the World Cup runner-up scored just one goal in its first two group-stage games at Euro 2024.

“We know we’ve got world-class strikers, and after a while they’re going to score goals, and it’s not necessarily just the strikers, it’s up to us too, whether it’s the midfielders or even the defenders, it’s a collective effort,” Tchouaméni said. “But being more clinical in front of goal is one of our areas for improvement.”

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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024