Zidane has suffered his first real blow since taking charge of the French national team. A 3-1 defeat to Italy was never among the scenarios the Marseille-born coach had pictured for the start of his new journey. Michael Olise produced a superb first-half goal, yet Les Bleus could not avoid defeat in a match that laid bare the scale of the void left by Mbappé's absence from the front line.
Sunday's clash against Turkey has become a decisive test for Zidane and his men. France need victory and all three points to guarantee qualification for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League. The new coach no longer has much room for experimentation, and any further stumble could turn his eagerly awaited start into an early crisis.
Mbappé's absence against Italy dominated the French press, particularly as the player is nursing a minor hamstring injury. The French Football Federation has disclosed no clear details about his condition, according to Spanish newspaper "AS".
Uncertainty hung over the situation from the start of the camp. The federation issued no medical report specifying the nature of the injury or its severity, nor did it clarify when the Real Madrid star would return to the pitch. Mbappé travelled with his teammates to Italy, yet Zidane confirmed on the eve of the match that he would not be available, without going into further detail.
Zidane opens the door to the captain's return
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Defeat to Italy done, Zidane sounded optimistic about recovering his captain for the Turkey clash. The player remaining within the camp, he said, reflected the coaching staff's belief that the injury was not serious. "I hope so," the French coach said. "That is why he has stayed with the team. I don't think his injury is serious. We will see him tomorrow when we are in Bordeaux, and the aim is for him to play."
Those remarks betray a clear desire to have Mbappé ready for the game ahead, especially with France needing all of their attacking weapons to clear the Turkey obstacle. But optimism about his return does not necessarily mean his body will let him play a full match. The final call rests with the medical staff.
Italy was not the first game Mbappé has missed through physical problems. It extended a run of absences that have dogged him lately. He has now sat out four consecutive matches through injury, after being forced to leave the national team camp during the first international break under Zidane, following a problem he picked up while scoring the opening goal against Turkey.
He also skipped collective training with his teammates at Clairefontaine on Wednesday, before the French federation ruled him out against Italy. The recurrence of this problem has raised concerns about his ability to regain full fitness, with any rush in his return risking a fresh setback.
A calculated risk or an unnecessary gamble?
Had Italy been decisive for France's World Cup qualifying campaign, Zidane's calculations might have looked different. Instead, the coach chose not to risk Mbappé, keeping him out and waiting for his condition to improve.
For all his insistence that he would not gamble with his first star, the player's refusal to head back to Real Madrid and his continued presence in the national team camp point to the confidence of the coaching and medical staff that he can be ready before Sunday. The equation looks complicated. France need Mbappé at his best, but they cannot ignore the physical risks of fielding him before his recovery is complete.
Turkey carries weight beyond being a decisive test for Zidane. It is tied to the fate of Les Bleus in the UEFA Nations League. Drop points here, with Belgium beating Italy, and France crash out of the race for the quarter-finals.
That scenario would land a heavy blow on Zidane's start. He took the job amid high hopes of putting the national team back on track, drawing on his experience, his leadership and his exceptional history with French football. Sunday's clash, then, is more than a points collection. It is an early test of his ability to handle crises and pressure.
The Zidane-Mbappé relationship under the microscope
Beyond the technical and physical calculations, the relationship between Zidane and Mbappé forces itself onto the scene. Speculation has grown that the pair have not reached a complete understanding in recent times. The French press is watching the bond between coach and captain closely, amid talk of differences over the role the player performs on the pitch.
Mbappé's position sparked some of the sharpest controversy, after Zidane used him on the left wing in his first match in charge. The coach reckoned this role suited his star's abilities best, but the choice did not win full approval from the player, who prefers to operate in a more advanced position closer to goal.
Naming his squad last week, Zidane hinted that Mbappé would return to his preferred position, an attempt to dispel the questions over his attacking role. Should he recover, the France captain is expected to start against Turkey, leading the front line rather than drifting out to the left once more.
No clear signs of cooperation emerged between coach and player during the training sessions open to the media, which only raised more questions, even if that alone cannot settle the nature of their relationship. What is certain is that both men need a quick understanding, with the success of Zidane's project largely hinging on how well he uses his most prominent stars.
Zidane does not look like a coach who buckles under pressure or lets outside noise sway his decisions, drawing on long experience as a player and manager at the highest levels. But he knows Turkey will be his first real test, a match that allows no complicated calculations or wasted chances.
Mbappé at his best would be a decisive factor in France's ambitions. Field him before his recovery is complete, though, and the awaited solution could become a bigger problem. Between the need to win and the fear of the injury returning, Zidane faces a difficult equation under one heading: saving France without sacrificing his first star.
