France, let us remember, are one of the favourites to win this European Championship and can lay claim to a genuinely star-studded team.
But their chances of lifting the trophy in Berlin on July 14 surely rest on having Mbappe available, so what a boost it was yesterday when manager Didier Deschamps said his captain should be fit for tonight's blockbuster clash against Holland.
It had been an anxious week for France, following Monday's 1-0 win over Austria, when Mbappe suffered a broken nose and was taken to hospital for scans. Initial assessments suggested the newly-signed Real Madrid forward would be out until the knockout stages, but Deschamps last night delivered news the Dutch will not have liked hearing.
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