Kylian Mbappé Was Ruled out for France's Game Against Belgium With an Injury

There are few soccer stars today as big as Kylian Mbappé, but following the French national team's match against Belgium, many noticed that he had not taken the field. Given his absence from his national team, many wanted to know why he wasn't playing, and what the explanation for it was.

The French team did not seem to need its biggest star, as they notched a victory in the Nation's League match anyway. Even so, Mbappé is supposed to be one of the team's captains, so his absence was notable. Here's what we know about why he was absent from the game.

Mbappé was officially ruled out of the game following a thigh injury that he sustained while playing for Real Madrid in a September match. Strangely, though, he had already returned to the pitch for a match against Lille in the Champions League and was booed upon his return. In spite of his return to play, he was still excluded from the French team's roster

“I spoke with Kylian about the situation, which is still uncertain after coming on as a substitute on Wednesday," French manager Didier Deschamps explained when discussing his captain's absence. "He has a match on Saturday and there are questions. He has a problem which is not serious but he needs treatment to recover properly. I am not here to take risks. That is why Kylian is not here."

Many French fans questioned their captain's commitment to his national team, though, after he returned to the pitch but not to his national team.

"As a captain [Mbappé] must be an example for the fans, and he has not been," Fabien Bonnet, spokesperson for the Irresistibles Francais, the main France supporters' group, told L'Equipe. "What emerges is that the real captain, Antoine Griezmann, is gone."

Kylian's lingering thigh injury isn't the only thing the star is dealing with. His name has also been connected to an investigation into a rape at a Swedish hotel. The alleged incident took place in Stockholm, and the prosecutor in the case has stopped short of mentioning the French phenom, saying: “In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police.”

Mbappé's name has been connected to the case by the Swedish press, who suggest that he is "reasonably suspected" of being involved.

Mbappé himself responded to the allegations by suggesting that they were related to a contract dispute he was having with his former club, Paris Saint-Germaine, over contract disputes. “FAKE NEWS!!!!. It's becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance," he wrote.

While details continue to emerge, it seems possible that this case could also be part of the reason he has not suited up for the French squad. Ultimately, only time will tell whether there's any truth behind the connections the Swedish reporters have made.