Mbappé suffers tendon injury with France; in doubt for Roma trip to Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé suffered a tendon injury during Turkey–France on 26 September and is a major concern for Real Madrid and beyond. The forward collapsed to the ground clutching his knee moments after scoring in the match; he was substituted immediately. Zidane, France's coach, made his assessment clear: "He is not well, the injury does not look benign. He will have to return to Madrid." Real Madrid are now on high alert over Mbappé's availability for upcoming fixtures. The injury has direct implications for Roma. Mourinho, Real's manager, faces the prospect of being without Mbappé for several matches, including the clash at the Stadio Olimpico against Roma scheduled for 14 October. Zidane's words leave no room for interpretation; the injury appears serious enough to sideline him for the coming weeks.

Real Madrid face fresh injury concerns after Mbappé was forced off with a knee problem during their match against Turkey. Zidane substituted the striker, replacing him with Doué, but Mbappé's visible distress on the touchline—hands on his head and visibly distressed—has deepened worries about his availability. The club will release further updates on the French forward's condition, but time is tight: Roma travel to Madrid in 19 days, and Real risk losing their most important player for that fixture. Mbappé's injury compounds an already difficult week for Carlo Ancelotti's side, who have already lost Valverde and Konate to injury. The midfielder and French centre-back's absences have left the squad stretched, and another significant loss would severely hamper their preparation for the Champions League encounter with Roma.

Manu Koné started in midfield alongside Rabiot as Zinedine Zidane took charge of France for the first time, facing Turkey in a match that opened a new chapter for the national team. Koné arrived in top form after scoring twice against Inter, drawing global attention to his performances. The Roma midfielder played the full match and received a yellow card as France won by a single goal, with Kylian Mbappé scoring before suffering an injury early in the second half. Koné has been a mainstay under previous manager Didier Deschamps and remains a certainty for club and country under Zidane's new regime. The 24-year-old's combination of power, positioning and finishing has made him a key player in the midfield, and the new France coach has immediately confirmed his trust by naming him in the starting XI. Zidane's first match in charge delivered an immediate result—victory over Turkey—with Koné featuring throughout and adding to his growing reputation at the highest level.