France’s Kylian Mbappé is adapting to wearing his new protective mask in preparation for a potential return to action against Poland at Euro 2024, according to teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Mbappé missed France’s recent 0-0 draw with the Netherlands following a nose injury sustained during their 1-0 victory over Austria. As he continues to recover, he has been fitted with a protective mask.
“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 commented on 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.”
Tchouaméni, who will soon be Mbappé’s teammate at Real Madrid after the tournament, also highlighted France’s focus on improving their goal-scoring efficiency following a modest tally of one goal in their first two group-stage matches 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 emphasized. “But being more clinical in front of goal is one of our areas for improvement.”
France, the runner-up of the previous World Cup, aims to sharpen their attacking edge ahead of their upcoming fixtures in the ongoing European Championship.
