Ethan Mbappé's debut ruined, forced off injured after 12 minutes with France U21

Ethan Mbappé did not have time to savour his first start in a France U21 shirt. The LOSC midfielder was forced to leave the pitch after just 12 minutes on Tuesday evening in Estonia during a Group C match in Euro 2027 U21 qualifying.

It was while adjusting a cross that the Lille player received a blow to the ankle. He remained on the ground for a few moments, tried to get back up but quickly realised he could not continue. Manager Gérald Baticle replaced him with Jean-Matteo Bahoya.

The news comes at an already difficult time for the Mbappé family: his older brother Kylian is also unavailable with the France senior team. For Ethan, injuries have been a recurring issue since his arrival at Lille. The last one, in January, had sidelined him for three months. A period of stability had followed, allowing him to accumulate playing time and secure this first call-up with France U21 — a milestone immediately overshadowed by this setback.

The exact severity of the injury remains to be determined. The Lille medical staff, led by Davide Ancelotti, is awaiting the results of medical examinations.

France U21 also lost a second player during the match: PSG attacking midfielder Senny Mayulu also had to leave the pitch in the 41st minute due to injury, depriving Baticle of two important options for the rest of the encounter.