Zinédine Zidane's first gathering at the helm of the Blues already ends without Kylian Mbappé. A few minutes after the win in Turkey (1-0), the FFF officially announced the French captain's withdrawal for the rest of the international break.
Mbappé injured his knee during the play that led to his winning goal. Examinations revealed a tendon injury, forcing the Real Madrid forward to leave the gathering.
Three matches missed
The Frenchman will thus miss the France team's next three fixtures: the two matches against Belgium and the one against Italy. A tough blow for Zidane, who had kept Mbappé as captain for his debut on the bench.
This absence will also change the pecking order on the pitch. Ousmane Dembélé, the Blues' first vice-captain, is expected to wear the armband for the upcoming match against Belgium.
A goal scored just before the injury
Having been ill earlier in the week, then having resumed training normally on Wednesday, Mbappé nonetheless appeared available for the trip to Turkey. He ended up scoring the first goal of the Zidane era before getting injured on that very same play.
For the new head coach, the challenge therefore begins with an added complication: building the rest of this gathering without his captain.
Comments
By posting, you agree to our privacy policy.