The 25-year-old was taken to a hospital in Düsseldorf, where doctors confirmed the nasal fracture. He will receive treatment over the coming days, although an immediate surgery hasn’t been planned as of yet.
Uncertainty looms over whether or not the star forward will be declared fit to play against the Dutch. If he does feature, he will have to do so while sporting a protective mask, according to the French Football Federation.
Adding to this twist, Mbappe himself took to social media post-match, seeking mask suggestions from his followers.
As predicted, most replies made Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask suggestions, drawing on the long-standing joke about Mbappe’s resemblance to the iconic turtles.
This comparison isn’t new. Back in 2017, Mbappe’s ex-PSG teammate Thiago Silva had gifted him a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle mask. Video of this gesture, captured from the PSG locker room, went viral immediately and keeps doing the rounds on social media.
France’s face-off against the Netherlands was always set to be a blockbuster, with two of Europe’s elite powerhouses going head-to-head. And now, the prospect of Mbappe playing in a mask has added another intriguing element to this thrilling fixture.