Ousmane Dembélé has been named captain of the French national team for their upcoming UEFA Nations League match against Belgium on Monday, following the withdrawal of star striker Kylian Mbappé from the squad.
Mbappé, who scored the lone goal in France’s 1‑0 win over Turkey on Friday, suffered a tendon injury to his left knee during the game in Kocaeli. The injury has ruled him out of the Belgium clash, and the French Football Federation has confirmed that he will not travel to Belgium.
The forward has returned to Madrid to begin his rehabilitation. With Mbappé sidelined, the federation has turned to Dembélé, who will be wearing the armband for the first time in his international career.
L’Equipe reports that the appointment comes from coach Didier Zidane, who has decided to give the winger a leadership role in the absence of the injured talisman.
France’s last match saw a narrow 1‑0 victory over Turkey, with Mbappé’s goal proving decisive before his injury forced him to leave the squad.
<small>Source: The Sun Nigeria — read the original story there.</small>
