France captain Kylian Mbappé has been ruled out of the remainder of the national team’s current Nations League campaign after suffering a left-knee injury during France’s 1–0 victory over Türkiye on Friday.
Mbappé was diagnosed with a hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee following medical examinations by his club, Real Madrid. The club confirmed the injury but did not initially provide a specific recovery period.
The 27-year-old forward sustained the injury shortly after scoring France’s only goal in the match. He appeared to experience pain in his left knee following the goal and attempted to continue playing after receiving treatment. However, he was eventually forced off in the 59th minute and was replaced by Désiré Doué.
The goal was Mbappé’s 67th for France in 107 appearances, further extending his record as the country’s leading men’s international goalscorer.
France coach Zinedine Zidane subsequently confirmed that Mbappé would not feature in the team’s remaining Nations League matches during the current international window, saying the team would not take risks with the captain’s condition.
France’s schedule includes a match against Belgium on Monday, followed by meetings with Italy and Belgium at the Stade de France on October 2 and October 5 respectively. Mbappé’s absence leaves France without its captain and leading goalscorer for the fixtures.
Reports have suggested that Mbappé could be sidelined for around two weeks, although the exact recovery timetable remains dependent on his progress.
The injury will also be closely monitored by Real Madrid, with the club’s medical team overseeing his recovery before he returns to competitive action.
