Zidane wins first France match 1-0 in Turkey, but Mbappe limps out with knee injury

Pinned summary · as of 05:49

Kylian Mbappe's strike gave Zinedine Zidane a winning start as France coach, a 1-0 away victory over Turkey in the Nations League. The forward then left the pitch hurt, and France now have to plan without their captain for the rest of the current camp.

What we know

• France beat Turkey 1-0 in the Nations League in Zidane's first match in charge, and Mbappe scored the only goal.
• Mbappe was in visible discomfort with his knee once the goal went in and was taken off later in the game.
• Mbappe will play no further part in the international window, with the French Football Federation cited as saying he will miss the rest of the camp.
• Zidane said France would not gamble with the forward's fitness, and that the knee had taken strain as he struck the ball: “We will not take risks, he has extended his knee when he took the shot,” he told French television.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

• ?
  The French Football Federation, according to The Publisher Online, said the problem is a tendon injury; The Ghana Report only spoke of swelling in the knee, and no other report has given a diagnosis.
• ?
  The Publisher Online reported that Mbappe will also miss the two Nations League games against Belgium and the one against Italy; The Ghana Report did not list those fixtures.
• ?
  The Ghana Report said the goal was the forward's 67th for France, extending his own national record, and that Michael Olise supplied the pass; this appears in no other report.
• ?
  Late in the match Turkey's goalkeeper, Ugurcan Cakir, received a red card for a handball beyond his penalty area, according to The Ghana Report alone.
• ?
  The Ghana Report said Zidane took over from Didier Deschamps after the World Cup and had never before managed a senior side apart from Real Madrid; no other report mentions either point.
• ?
  The Publisher Online said Belgium beat Italy 2-0 in their own Nations League game; this has not been repeated by other reports.

Why it matters for Ghana

Football fans across Ghana follow France and Real Madrid closely, so the health of one of the game's best-known strikers draws attention well beyond Europe. For a new coach, losing his captain straight after a first win complicates the next fixtures in the group. Supporters and betting followers in Accra and Kumasi will be watching for any update on how long the knee problem keeps him out.