Austria center-back Kevin Danso felt responsible for the facial injury Kylian Mbappe sustained in the final minutes of France‘s 1-0 win in the first matchday of the UEFA Euro 2024 group stage.
The French striker attempted a header from a corner kick cross but headbutted Danso’s shoulder before he could touch the ball. Even though it was not intentional, the defender apologized for the clash.
“To the French supporters: I’m sorry that Kylian Mbappé got injured during our duel. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope he can quickly regain his place on the field,” wrote Danso on Instagram.
The 25-year-old, who plays for French Ligue 1 side Lens, showed nothing but class as soon as Mbappe went down, apologizing to the player on the field before taking to social media.
Fans appreciated Danso’s kind words, letting him know in the comments section that it was not his fault. Mbappe’s injury was just a situation that can happen during a game, and hopefully he can recover as soon as possible.
Mbappe got booked and went straight to the hospital
The 25-year-old striker, who will join Real Madrid as a free agent next season, laid on the pitch for minutes to be treated by the doctors. After leaving the field for further treatment, he asked to come on only to go down again and waste more time before leaving the game to let Olivier Giroud come on. That cost him a yellow card.
That situation was followed with countless rumors and reports as world soccer wondered how serious was Mbappe’s injury. The images immediately suggested he had a broken nose, which was later confirmed by the French federation.
France confirm extent of Mbappe’s injury
“Kylian Mbappe returns to the base camp of the French national team,” the French federation said in a statement, adding that the striker “suffered a broken nose during the second part of the Austria-France held this Monday in Düsseldorf.”
Even though reports from France feared Mbappe would require surgery, the FFF denied this, claiming the player will receive treatment while a mask is prepared for him to return to action. His recovery date remains unclear, but the idea is he can return to play in this Euros.