Losing Kylian Mbappe is France's worst-case scenario - now inconsistent supporting cast must step up to keep Euro 2024 bid on track

Down the years, major tournaments have been punctuated by those moments on which a nation's fortunes can pivot; David Beckham's kick-out in 1998, Wayne Rooney's injury at Euro 2004, Zinedine Zidane's headbutt in 2006, Frank Lampard's 'ghost goal' at the 2010 World Cup, Luis Suarez's handball at the same tournament - the list goes on.

France now find themselves at a crucial juncture, and if they are unable to overcome their own deficiencies, then Mbappe's broken nose could be added to that list when all is said and done.

The moment itself seemed innocuous, but Mbappe's bloodied face told a different story. Rising to meet a cross in the dying embers of the game, the attacker inadvertently headed the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso after connecting with the ball, leaving him with a crooked, swollen nose and blood-stained shirt.

"He's got a really bad nose," France manager Didier Deschamps said after the game. "We'll have to wait and see, the medical staff are dealing with it. We'll have to see what's going to be done and then how long it will take. It's very bad news for us tonight. Obviously, the French team with or without him, this is not the same thing. I hope he can be there."

An injury to one of the tournament's biggest superstars has inevitably led to speculation over just how long France's talisman will be absent for, with a group-stage showdown against the Dutch to come on Friday. The reported worst-case scenario is that he will be sidelined for up to 15 days - ruling him out of the rest of the group phase and a last-16 clash should France qualify as expected.

For their part, the French federation have confirmed Mbappe will undergo treatment, but the injury does not require surgery immediately. Instead the 25-year-old will be required to wear a protective mask when he is back on the grass.

"Kylian Mbappe has returned to the base camp of the French team. He will undergo treatment in the coming days, without undergoing surgery immediately. A mask will be made so as to allow the number 10 of the French team to consider resuming competition after a period devoted to treatment," the FFF said in a statement.

According to RMC, Mbappe will miss Friday's clash with the Netherlands at the very least having had his nose put back into place in the dressing room before being taken to hospital in Dusseldorf.

Even before Mbappe's injury late in the game, France's performance exemplified the need for more from their supporting cast and that they cannot simply rely on moments of inspiration from their captain. Indeed, the only goal of the game came indirectly as a result of his clever play down the right flank; after he had evaded two defenders to reach the byline, his clipped, awkward cross was inadvertently turned into the net by Austria defender Max Wober.

The likes of Antoine Griezmann, Marcus Thuram and Ousmane Dembele were unable to shoulder the attacking burden, while Randal Kolo Muani was ineffective off the bench and fellow substitute Olivier Giroud spurned a good opportunity, too.

Thuram was a particularly guilty party, testing the goalkeeper from a tough angle but failing to make the most of two far more presentable opportunities inside the penalty area. Elsewhere, Griezmann couldn't stretch to get on the end of a fine cross, and Dembele's end product was typically lacking.

That is not to say that Mbappe is beyond reproach, however, as the superstar could have single-handedly put a hard-fought contest out Austria's reach.

In first-half stoppage-time, the new Real Madrid forward was played in over the top by an inch-perfect, lofted through ball from Griezmann, but he was unable to bring the ball under his spell, as a poor first touch took him too close to the goalkeeper, who was able to pounce after standing his ground.

Mbappe's worst moment came early in the second period, though, as he was once again picked out over the top and sprinted through on goal. This time, despite having what felt like all the time in the world, Les Bleus' talisman contrived to plant his shot wide of the post, much to his own disbelief.

The performance was ultimately symptomatic of a concerning trend that emerged in France's games in the build-up to Euro 2024: if Mbappe doesn't show up, France don't show up.

Despite being considered favourites for the tournament, Les Bleus won just two of their four warm-up games in the months leading up to the European Championship, and even then they were unconvincing in victories over Chile and Luxembourg.

Mbappe was kept quiet in the defeat to Germany in March and drew a blank in the goalless draw with Canada earlier in June, while he came in for criticism for his performance against Chile, too, as he produced an alarmingly muted display in a chaotic 3-2 triumph. He even toiled against minnows Luxembourg despite getting on the scoresheet late on.

There is no doubt that - even when he is on the pitch - France need others to step up, and never more so than in a tournament setting.

After all, it is difficult to make excuses for a squad blessed with a plethora of attacking talent, and it will be interesting to see how Deschamps sets up his team in the absence of their captain and talisman - especially in a big game against the Dutch.

You would expect Thuram or Kolo Muani to be the main beneficiaries of Mbappe's likely layoff, with either able to operate as an orthodox centre-forward rather than having to drift wide to accommodate Mbappe's roaming. Thuram in particular will have been frustrated to be forced to the wing after a strong season as a striker with Inter.

Specialist left-winger Bradley Barcola - who has impressed at Paris Saint-Germain - will surely be in his manager's thinking, too, with his direct pace and dribbling ability out wide offering France a dimension they were lacking against Austria.

What Giroud lacks in speed he makes up for in prolific goal-scoring at international level, and he has an excellent connection with Griezmann, while Deschamps also has Kingsley Coman at his disposal.

The question of what France would do without Mbappe has long gone unanswered, but Les Bleus are finally facing that reckoning on one of football's biggest stages. Exactly how they deal with their talisman's absence could well be make or break in Germany.