France boss Didier Deschamps has revealed that Kylian Mbappe will need to undergo surgery on the broken nose he sustained on Monday night.
During the closing stages of the 1-0 victory over Austria, Mbappe came off worst in an aerial challenge with Kevin Danso, his head hitting the defender's shoulder.
Covered in blood, it quickly became apparent that the 25-year-old had sustained a broken nose, and he was substituted after receiving treatment on the pitch.
In the hours after the incident, Deschamps acknowledged his star man was 'not doing very well', while the French Football Association revealed that a protective mask would be made as soon as possible.
However, doubts have remained over when Mbappe may return to action and whether he would require an operation on the gruesome-looking injury.
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Deschamps reveals when Mbappe will have surgery
Although it has already been suggested that Mbappe has little chance of featuring against Netherlands on Friday, Deschamps has said that an operation will not take place in the short term.
Instead, the newly-signed Real Madrid attacker will undergo surgery once France's participation in the tournament has concluded, likely at some point in July.
Speaking to reporters, Deschamps said: "This Wednesday there will be more tests to see his evolution. It was a major shock. The medical staff did everything necessary to reduce it as much as possible, after the tests.
"Even if there is not surgery immediately, he will have to do it after the tournament. This morning he was already a little better, so we will see. We will follow it closely every day."
While a report in L'Equipe has claimed that Mbappe still has hopes of featuring against Netherlands on Friday, it remains to be seen whether that is realistic.
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Ramifications for France and Real Madrid?
France supporters will be encouraged to hear their talisman will almost certainly play a part in the rest of the tournament, even if his next outing may not come until June 25 against Poland.
If Les Bleus finish in the top two of Group D, they will not play their last-16 tie until the start of July, handing Mbappe more recovery time.
From Real Madrid's perspective, Mbappe undergoing surgery shortly before starting pre-season training is far from ideal, yet their new signing will be able to go through several weeks of rehabilitation before he even links up with his teammates.
With La Liga beginning just over a month after the Euro 2024 final, Mbappe may be deemed fit to feature in their opening fixture in the middle of August.
Darren Plant
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