Dembele Set to Captain France for First Time After Mbappe Injury

Ousmane Dembele is set to captain France for the first time in his international career when Les Bleus face Belgium in the Nations League on Monday, stepping in after regular skipper Kylian Mbappe was ruled out through injury.

Mbappe's setback is a blow for new head coach Zinedine Zidane, who had been hoping to build early momentum following a winning start in charge. The Real Madrid forward suffered a tendon injury in his left knee during the win over Turkey, ironically picked up while scoring the winning goal. The French Football Federation confirmed Mbappe will not travel with the squad to Belgium and has instead returned to Madrid to begin his recovery. It's a frustrating moment for the striker, who had just reached 107 caps, level with Patrick Vieira and one behind Zidane's own total.

With Mbappe out, the armband passes to Dembele, according to L'Equipe, as the most experienced player in the current squad in terms of caps. The former Barcelona winger has 68 appearances for France, putting him at the top of the pecking order Zidane has set for this international window.

Dembele actually got a taste of the responsibility already, taking over the armband when Mbappe was substituted in the 59th minute of Friday's win in Turkey, wearing it until he himself was replaced late on by debutant Esteban Lepaul.

Speaking to TF1 after that match, Dembele said the squad had gone in well prepared for a difficult atmosphere and tricky playing surface. "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," he said.

France's trip to Brussels represents a step up in opposition, with Belgium currently top of their Nations League group after beating Italy 2-0. That likely means France will need a result of their own to stay in touch at the top of the table. It shapes up as a real test both of Dembele's leadership and of Zidane's tactical setup, especially with the team having to find a way forward without leaning so heavily on Mbappe's usual finishing.