In the first evening of Zinedine Zidane’s France tenure, a sharp finish from Kylian Mbappé briefly lifted the mood before concern travelled from the French camp to Madrid. The Real Madrid forward scored against Turkey, then left the field with an apparent problem in his left knee.
A landmark goal interrupted
France had found Turkey difficult to break down in their opening match under Zidane when Michael Olise supplied Mbappé shortly after the interval. Operating from the left side of the attack, Mbappé drove forward and struck a powerful right-footed shot to open the scoring in the 54th minute.
It was the first goal of Zidane’s spell as France coach, but the occasion quickly took a troubling turn. Mbappé appeared to hurt his left knee, an area that had already caused him difficulties during the previous season.
- Mbappé initially attempted to continue after the incident.
- He returned to the pitch but repeatedly held his left knee and showed clear discomfort.
- The forward eventually went to ground and was replaced by Désiré Doué in the 59th minute.
- He walked off without assistance, though his visible pain raised immediate concern.
France and Madrid await clarity
The extent of the injury will only become clear after medical examinations. Zidane is awaiting the results, as is José Mourinho at Real Madrid, where Mbappé’s fitness will be closely monitored after the international break began with a scare.
The timing is particularly unwelcome for both club and country, with France beginning a compact Nations League sequence only days after their Turkey fixture.
France’s next Nations League dates
- Monday: France host Greece.
- 2 October: France travel to Italy.
- 5 October: France play away in Greece.
