Kylian Mbappe Injured After Scoring Winner in Zinedine Zidane’s France Coaching Debut

Kylian Mbappe faces around two weeks on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury while scoring the winning goal in France's 1-0 Nations League victory over Turkey.

Kylian Mbappe will leave the France national team after sustaining a knee injury during a 1-0 Nations League win against Turkey on Friday, casting a shadow over Zinedine Zidane's coaching debut.

Set up by Michael Olise, the Real Madrid star scored the match-winner in the 54th minute with a low shot to mark his record 67th goal for France. However, Mbappe felt pain immediately after taking the shot without any forced challenge from an opponent, sitting on the pitch while grimacing and rubbing his left knee. After receiving initial treatment and briefly returning to play, he fell again and was replaced by Desire Doue, though he was able to walk off the pitch on his own.

Speaking to French television, Zidane confirmed that the forward will not be risked. 'No, it’s not good. It’s not good, unfortunately,' Zidane said. 'He (Mbappe) will have to go back. We will not take risks, he has extended his knee when he took the shot. It’s not very encouraging.'

The French Football Federation confirmed that Mbappe suffered a tendon injury and will miss the remainder of the camp. Additionally, Madrid-based journalist Arancha Rodriguez reported that the forward suffered a hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee, with a recovery time of approximately two weeks.

The fixture was played on an uneven playing surface at Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, which contributed to a scrappy start with mishandled passes from both teams. Zidane's initial starting lineup featured a formidable attacking quartet with Mbappe on the left wing, Olise on the opposite flank, and Rayan Cherki alongside Ousmane Dembele.

France are scheduled to play three more Nations League matches during this international window, including two games against Belgium and one against Italy.

Reporting sourced from Khel Now. Photo courtesy Khel Now.