Kylian Mbappé's injury during France's clash with Turkey did more than deal a painful blow to his national team. It sparked anger and disappointment inside Real Madrid, who had warned in advance about the risk of playing their striker while he carried pain in the same knee.
French newspaper "L'Équipe" revealed that Real Madrid's medical staff were unhappy with what unfolded. Mbappé hurt his left knee against Turkey, and the club had already told the French national team's medical staff about the player's condition before the camp began, asking them to handle him with caution.
The striker arrived at the France camp last Monday with minor pain in the same area. Real Madrid knew all about it, having passed on every piece of medical information relating to his condition to the French national team's medical staff.
Madrid officials wanted Mbappé rested rather than thrown into the Turkey match, according to "L'Équipe", knowing the state of his knee and needing him for crucial games to come.
Zinedine Zidane thought otherwise. He started the France captain, and Mbappé limped off in the 59th minute with a fresh injury to the same knee.
Initial examinations in Turkey ruled out a cruciate ligament tear. They have not yet determined how serious the injury is or how long he will be out, though Spanish sources have suggested he could miss around three weeks.
José Mourinho was among the first to check on Mbappé the moment he left the pitch. The Real Madrid coach hurried to call his striker, well aware of how much the club will lean on him over the coming weeks.
Few could have picked a worse time for Madrid. A run of big matches looms in October, starting with Roma in the Champions League, then Sevilla in La Liga, before the eagerly awaited Clásico against Barcelona on 25 October.
All of this deepens the frustration at the club, especially as the injury landed at a moment when Real Madrid could have avoided the risk, having already flagged their concerns to the France national team.
Zidane moved quickly after the injury, sending Mbappé straight back to Real Madrid rather than putting him through further tests under the French medical staff. The step looked like an attempt to head off more tension between the two sides.
Mbappé has now left the France camp and come under the supervision of Real Madrid's medical staff. They will carry out further imaging examinations in the coming hours to establish the extent of the injury and the length of his absence.