Mbappé Sidelined; Risk Management as France Faces the Netherlands

Kylian Mbappé was left out of France's starting lineup against the Netherlands due to concerns over his recent nose injury. Despite optimism from coach Didier Deschamps, the decision was made to avoid the risk. Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram, and Ousmane Dembélé started in his stead.

Kylian Mbappé was notably absent from France's starting lineup in their European Championship match against the Netherlands on Friday. The star forward, recovering from a nose injury, was among the substitutes.

Although Mbappé trained with a face mask on Thursday and coach Didier Deschamps sounded optimistic about his potential participation, the coaching team ultimately decided not to risk playing him against the physically imposing Dutch defense. Instead, Deschamps elected to start Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram, and Ousmane Dembélé up front.

Mbappé appeared relaxed and showed no signs of distress upon arriving at the stadium. He participated in the pre-game warmup but remained cautious, adjusting to his face mask. France, which has a strong track record against the Netherlands, now shares three points apiece in Group D with their rivals after Austria's earlier 3-1 win over Poland.

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