Kylian Mbappé has left the France national team camp and returned to Madrid for treatment after suffering a left knee injury during France’s 1-0 victory over Türkiye in the UEFA Nations League, Zinedine Zidane’s first match as Les Bleus head coach.
Mbappé scored France’s only goal in the 55th minute from a pass by Michael Olise, taking his international tally to 67 goals in 107 appearances and further strengthening his position as France’s all-time leading scorer. However, shortly after scoring, he was seen holding his left knee and was unable to continue, with Désiré Doué coming on as his replacement.
Zidane said after the match that Mbappé’s condition was not good and that he did not want to take any risks by allowing the forward to continue playing. A statement later issued by the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that the striker had suffered a ligament injury in his left knee and would miss the remaining matches of the current international window.
Mbappé will now return to Real Madrid for further examinations and treatment, with the full extent of the injury yet to be determined following medical assessments. France, who began the Zidane era with victory over Türkiye, will now have to continue their upcoming fixtures without their captain.
