Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe asked to be brought off by head coach Carlo Ancelotti, after he couldn't finish the first half of a Champions League clash with Atalanta on Tuesday because of what appears to be a muscle injury.
The Frenchman has suffered a difficult start to life at the Bernabeu after completing a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer window.
In the aftermath of a 2-1 defeat at Athletic Club last Wednesday where he missed a penalty, Ancelotti admitted that his number 9 is not at his best level.
On Saturday, however, Mbappe scored a great goal from a tight angle against Girona in Montilivi and followed that up with a sensational strike in Bergamo at Atalanta's expense.
Receiving a lovely pass from Brahim, Mbappe took one touch to turn inside his marker and smashed his strike into the far corner on 10 minutes.
He then came close to bagging a brace with a bullet shot that Marco Carnesecchi parried away and prevented from flying into his top corner.
Yet less than half an hour later, on 35 minutes, Mbappe stayed on the ground and asked to be brought off by Ancelotti.
The Italian heeded his request, with Rodrygo replacing the 2018 World Cup winner. And as Mbappe was able to walk off the field at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia himself without help, the knock probably isn't as serious as those that will keep the likes of teammates Eder Militao and Dani Carvajal sidelined for the rest of the season.
Madrid is likely to release a statement regarding the matter after Mbappe has been assessed by its medical team.
Yet what is sad for Mbappe and Los Blancos fans, while lamented on social media platforms such as X, is the fact that the 25-year-old appears to have suffered a setback just as he was finally finding his feet in Madrid's fabled white shirt.
Mbappe will probably miss Madrid's trip to Rayo Vallecano on Saturday in La Liga, and perhaps the Intercontinental Cup final which could be played against Libertadores champions Botafogo if the Brazilians manage to advance to the decider on December 18 in Lusail, Qatar.