All the cameras were on Kylian Mbappe as he took his place on the bench for France’s Euro 2024 game against the Netherlands and, with such attention, it was hard for him to hide his emotions.
The 25-year-old striker, who broke his nose in France’s opener, occasionally looked frustrated, at one stage had his head in his hands and also stood to shout out encouragement to his team-mates. But he was not where he wanted to be – on the pitch – and Les Bleus badly missed him in a goalless draw where they missed numerous chances.
“I am not concerned,” France boss Didier Deschamps said about his side’s failure to score in Mbappe’s absence. “It is just the name of the game. Sometimes you have countless chances and don’t hit the back of the net and sometimes it is the other way round.
“I would be worried if there were not any chances. Efficiency at high-level football is important and it is something we can work on.”