Real Madrid saw several players join up with their national teams for the recent international break. One of those was in-form forward Kylian Mbappe, who was carrying a slight ankle problem after the La Liga game against Villarreal.
The 26-year-old started for France in their World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on October 10. He scored and assisted in a 3-0 win, but had to come off in the 83rd minute due to an injury. It was, in fact, the same ankle that had given him trouble after Real Madrid's previous La Liga game.
Les Bleus will now face Iceland without Mbappe, who has reportedly traveled back to the Spanish capital for further assessment. Xabi Alonso will be hoping for the best, possibly harboring some anger towards the French national team.
Kylian Mbappe Returns to Madrid with Further Discomfort
Kylian Mbapp
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
According to Marca, Kylian Mbappe has returned to Madrid with further discomfort in the same ankle he injured during Real Madrid's game against Villarreal on October 4. The Spanish club will put the Frenchman through some tests to see the extent of the injury.
It could be a blow for head coach Xabi Alonso if the forward is set to miss significant time, with key games on the horizon. They are set to face Juventus in the Champions League and play Barcelona in the first El Clasico of the season in the next few weeks.
Alonso and the club will also be looking at the French national team, and this may have been avoided if Mbappe had not been fully fit for the first game.
Kylian Mbappe
IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
The French captain has not trained with the squad this past week, doing some light drills away from others. With so little work, some may have expected Mbappe to start on the bench. However, he did tell head coach Didier Deschamps he was okay to play.
The game was also against a team with a much lower rank than themselves, a team they could likely beat without risking Mbappe. If there were struggles, they could always bring him on later. The Real Madrid hierarchy could point to mismanagement from the French team.
The hope is that it is not a minor injury, and in the worst case, he may miss the match against Getafe. The goal would be that he is available for the El Clasico on October 26.
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