Kylian Mbappé ruled out of France’s next three matches

Kylian Mbappé will miss France’s next three matches after a knee problem forced him out of the Nations League opener against Turkey. The injury removes France’s captain and leading attacking figure from the rest of this international sequence, with the Real Madrid forward expected to leave the national-team camp and return to Spain.

Mbappé scored the only goal in France’s 1-0 victory, converting early in the second half before later feeling pain in his knee while striking the ball. He was unable to continue. The result gave France three points in the first round of the Nations League, but the positive start was tempered by the loss of the player who decided the match.

The setback came during Zinedine Zidane’s first game as France coach. Zidane had selected Mbappé on the left of a 4-3-3, with Ousmane Dembélé through the middle and Michael Olise on the right. That attacking arrangement will have to be changed for the next three fixtures.

Mbappé had only recently returned to full training with the squad. He missed Tuesday’s session after suffering flu symptoms and did not eat lunch with his teammates that day, but he was back on the pitch alongside them on Wednesday. He subsequently started in Turkey before the knee issue brought his evening to an early end. Zidane indicated after the match that France would not take risks with the forward, and Mbappé’s withdrawal now confirms his absence from the upcoming games.