Ousmane Dembele to lead France against Belgium as injured Kylian Mbappe withdraws from Zinedine Zidane's squad
Mbappe sidelined by knee injury
The news regarding Mbappe is a significant setback for new manager Zinedine Zidane, who had hoped to build momentum following a winning start to his tenure. The forward sustained a tendon injury in his left knee during the clash in Kocaeli, ironically occurring as he struck the winning goal. The French Football Federation confirmed that the striker will not travel to Belgium and has instead returned to Madrid to begin his rehabilitation process. It is a frustrating turn of events for the player, who had just reached 107 caps, moving him level with Patrick Vieira and just one behind Zidane himself.
Dembele takes the armband in Brussels
Dembele is poised to lead Les Bleus out for the very first time in his international career, according to L'Equipe. With Mbappe sidelined, the responsibility falls to the former Barcelona man as the most senior member of the current squad in terms of international appearances. Dembele has earned 68 caps for his country, placing him at the top of the hierarchy established by Zidane for this specific international window.
The 29-year-old actually got a brief taste of the role during Friday's narrow victory in Turkey. When Mbappe was forced off the pitch in the 59th minute, he handed the armband to Dembele, who wore it until he was substituted late in the game for debutant Esteban Lepaul.
Praises team effort
Reflecting on the hard-fought victory over Turkey, Dembele told TF1 that the squad was fully prepared for a challenging match in a hostile stadium and on a tricky pitch. He praised the team's solid overall performance and thorough week of preparation, noting that while they were satisfied with securing all three points, they easily could have added one or two more goals to the scoreline.
"We knew it would be a difficult match on a tricky pitch and in a heated, difficult stadium, we knew that. We prepared very well all week. I think we played a very good match overall; we could have scored one or two more goals. But we're happy with this match and the three points; we were solid too. The coach expects us to play good football, communicate a lot on the pitch, and implement a 4-3-3 formation. We'll continue like this and prepare for Monday," Dembele said.
Preparing for the Belgian challenge
The upcoming fixture against Belgium at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels represents a step up in quality for Zidane’s men. Belgium currently lead Ligue A1 after securing a 2-0 win over Italy, meaning France will likely need a result to keep pace at the top of the standings. It will be a major test for Dembele’s leadership qualities and Zidane’s tactical flexibility, especially as the team looks to move away from its total reliance on Mbappe’s clinical finishing in the final third.
