France possesses formidable depth but still heavily depends on Kylian Mbappe for inspiration. They are now grappling with the possibility of playing without their injured superstar, Mbappe, in the upcoming Euro 2024 match against the Netherlands on Friday. Mbappe, the captain, is recuperating from a broken nose sustained during Monday's 1-0 victory against Austria in Duesseldorf, their tournament opener. The recent Real Madrid acquisition, instrumental in the decisive own goal by Maximilian Woeber, was severely injured in a clash with Austrian defender Kevin Danso and was substituted by Olivier Giroud. The French Football Federation confirmed that Mbappe won't require surgery but will need a mask before returning to play. Given the tight schedule, the match against the Dutch in Leipzig seems too soon for the 25-year-old. France's coach, Didier Deschamps, hopes for a positive outcome that could secure their spot in the last 16, allowing Mbappe to potentially skip the final Group D game against Poland. However, defeating a robust Netherlands team without the world's arguably most lethal striker remains a challenge. Midfielder Adrien Rabiot expressed confidence in the squad's depth, stating, 'Of course he is an important player, the captain, a leader. So that will have an impact, but we have an exceptional squad. I am not going to complain given the lads we have on the bench. We have more than enough options to replace Kylian. I have total confidence in the guys on the bench and the quality we have.' Mbappe ranks third in France's all-time top scorers with 47 goals from 80 caps, behind only Giroud and Thierry Henry. His recent performance includes only one goal in the last six matches, scored in a pre-tournament friendly against Luxembourg. Nonetheless, his impact was significant at the last World Cup, scoring eight goals, half of the team's total, including a hat trick in the final against Argentina. France faced the Netherlands twice in Euro 2024 qualifying, with Mbappe scoring twice in each match, in a 4-0 win in Paris and a 2-1 victory in Amsterdam. It's crucial to assess how France has fared in recent games without Mbappe, who recently concluded a prolific seven-year stint at Paris Saint-Germain. Deschamps' team suffered a 2-1 loss in a friendly in Germany last September when Mbappe was benched. They also struggled to a 0-0 draw against Canada in their final pre-tournament friendly when Mbappe only featured as a late substitute.