Boost for France as Mbappe is declared fit

AS KYLIAN MBAPPE took to the training pitch yesterday, sporting an unmistakably French protective face mask, it was hard not to shake the image of a superhero rocking up to save the mere mortals around him.

- Dom Smith

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.