Kylian Mbappe has been told his Euro 2024 campaign may be in jeopardy
Retired boxer Jero Garcia has given a grim assessment of Kylian Mbappe’s Euro 2024 outlook after the France superstar broke his nose in Monday’s 1-0 win over Austria. Real Madrid’s new acquisition was left gushing blood after clattering with the shoulder of Kevin Danso at a corner, and he was promptly taken off as Les Bleus saw out a narrow victory.
Didier Deschamps’ men are tied on points with the Netherlands at the head of Group D for now, but Garcia suggested Mbappe may struggle to feature again in June as a hopeful approximation. And the former fighter would know given he broke his nose on no fewer than 15 occasions over the course of his career in the ring.
Garcia – who retired with an 11-1 record, fighting almost exclusively in his native Spain – said boxers usually spend “at least three weeks” without touching their nose following a break due to the pain. The resulting inflammation makes it harder to breathe, meaning Mbappe may be pushed to play again in the group stage at a bare minimum.
“It’s clear, it’s a broken bone with deviation. It’s complicated,” said Garcia during a recent appearance on El Partidazo de COPE. “His nose is going to be congested for a few days. The recovery is going to be complicated.”
In regards to Mbappe’s next steps and the solutions France could use to mitigate the damage, the retired pro went into further detail. And it’s evident Les Bleus will have needed to move quickly to limit any lasting effects.
“Now, the mask and a good anti-inflammatory treatment,” added Garcia when quizzed on where to go from here. “The first thing is for the nose to go back in place. The more it gets inflamed, the worse it is going to be for you to breathe. It’s going to be hard to breathe for a few days.”
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Jero Garcia broke his nose 15 times during his boxing career
Going off Garcia’s estimations, Mbappe would be pushing it to be close to fighting fitness for France’s knockout-stage campaign, which looks likely to begin on July 1 or July 2. The quarter-finals then take place on July 5 and July 6, by which point his airways could be close to capacity – provided his recovery goes according to plan.
“Out of those 15 times when I broke my nose, I fixed it myself twice,” added Garcia when asked if an operation may be required to fix Mbappe’s nose. “When inflammation goes away, if you can breathe properly, it’s all good. If not, then surgery is needed.”
Mbappe, 25, was shown a yellow card just prior to Monday’s exit after he re-entered play without the referee’s permission and quickly sat on the turf. Olivier Giroud came on as his replacement, and the AC Milan frontman may be called upon to deputise for Mbappe in the coming fixtures.
France are facing a tougher time in Germany if their star man is sidelined
Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani – who had already entered the fray when the nose break occurred – is another option to lead the line in Mbappe’s absence. However, neither alternative will be seen to offer quite the same threat as the France skipper.
Deschamps’ side have less than three days to prepare for Friday’s clutch encounter with the Netherlands, which should decide the order of the top two finishers in Group D. However, the final pool fixture against Poland on Tuesday (June 25) is also more complicated due to Mbappe’s setback, with France now in a frenzy to get their leading man back as soon as possible.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1912544/kylian-mbappe-euro-2024-broken-nose-injury