Kylian Mbappé diagnosed with left-knee hyperextension

Kylian Mbappé has been ruled out for the remainder of France’s international camp after medical tests confirmed an injury to his left knee. The captain will miss the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Belgium and Italy, with France opting not to call up a replacement. Zinedine Zidane must therefore find an internal solution to cover the Real Madrid forward’s absence.

France began its campaign under Zidane with a 1-0 victory in Turkey on Friday. Mbappé left the match around the hour mark after hurting his left knee, and the squad then travelled towards Brussels to prepare for the meeting with Belgium. His departure removes France’s main attacking leader from the next two matches.

Mbappé returned to Madrid on Saturday for further examinations at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training centre. The club diagnosed an hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee and said his condition would be monitored closely. Earlier assessments had referred to a tendon injury, while Zidane had described the problem as hyperextension. Real Madrid did not give a timetable for his return, leaving his availability beyond the international break unclear.