Kylian Mbappé leaves France camp after left knee injury

Kylian Mbappé will leave the France squad after Real Madrid confirmed a hyperextension of his left knee. The injury ends his involvement in the current international camp and removes the French captain from three upcoming Nations League fixtures.

Mbappé was examined by Real Madrid’s medical team on Saturday, with the diagnosis involving the posterior capsule of the left knee. He suffered the problem during Friday’s match in Turkey and came off shortly after scoring France’s opening goal in the 54th minute. France went on to win 1-0, giving Zinedine Zidane a victory in his first match as national-team coach.

Zidane said after the match that Mbappé had hyperextended the knee and would need to return to his club. He also indicated that France would not expose the forward to further risk, confirming the end of his time with the squad for this sequence of matches.

France travels to Belgium on Monday, then hosts Italy and Belgium at the Stade de France on October 2 and October 5. Those three games will be played over 10 days, but Mbappé will not be available after scoring in the opening fixture. Real Madrid’s confirmation provides the first formal diagnosis of the injury following his early departure in Turkey.