France boss Didier Deschamps says Kylian Mbappe is “raring to go” as Les Bleus look to kick-start their Euro 2024 campaign against already-eliminated Poland in their final Group D game on Tuesday.
Mbappe sustained a broken nose in his side’s opening win over Austria and sat out the goalless draw against the Netherlands, and will have to play in a special protective mask.
The 25-year-old showed no ill-effects when he scored twice in a specially arranged friendly against a Paderborn under-21 line-up over the weekend.
Deschamps expressed delight at Mbappe’s progress following the injury but must make a judgement on whether to risk his star man ahead of the knockout stages.
“It’s getting better every day,” Deschamps said at his pre-match press conference on Monday. “He wants to play tomorrow, he’s raring to go. He wanted to play against the Netherlands and he wants to play tomorrow.
“The mask is not restrictive but it limits your vision a little. The technology has improved and it allows us to have the thinnest masks possible. You have to get used to it.”
On our way to Dortmund! 🚎 pic.twitter.com/oOTazxii0x
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) June 24, 2024
France are neck-and-neck with the Netherlands in the fight to finish on top of the group despite struggling to get started with just one goal – an own goal – from their first two games.
But Deschamps issued a blunt message to critics of his side’s performances back home, insisting: “You can make whatever comments you want.
“If people don’t like what they see, they can change the channel. It’s easy at home. What is annoying is not having scored against the Netherlands after having had so many chances.”
France will start as favourites to finish the job against a Poland team whose fate was the first to be sealed after successive defeats to the Netherlands and Austria.
But Deschamps will take nothing for granted, saying: “They (Poland) had a very good match against the Netherlands.
“We will see if they will have the same players, but I know the Polish team will be very motivated, and very dangerous from set-plays.”
Poland have struggled without the impact of their talismanic record goalscorer Robert Lewandowski, who missed the opening loss to the Dutch then appeared as a late substitute against Austria.
Lewandowski is more likely to have a role against France and the striker, who turns 36 in August, dismissed suggestions that he might be ready to call time on his international career.
“Tomorrow is not my last game,” Lewandowski told reporters. “I will be 36 soon. I still have that fire inside of me and nobody outside can affect my decision.
“One day I will wake up and maybe think it is time to retire but today I feel this team has a future. It has not been easy but that doesn’t mean we can’t come back much stronger in the future.”