Kylian Mbappe
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Real Madrid vs Benfica: How long will forward Kylian Mbappe be out, and what's his injury statues? Here's an update.
Real Madrid and Benfica are going up against each other in the second leg of their Champions League playoff game at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, February 25.
For those who watch to watch both in the States and overseas, the game airs on Amazon Prime Video and TNT Sports 1 in the U.K. and Paramount+ in the U.S.
Real Madrid got worried when their reliable forward Kylian Mbappé re-aggravated a knee injury this season, forcing him to be out of a handful of games that the team simply has to win. Mbappé, 27, sustained a knee injury in early 2026 that ended up being fairly serious, which resulted in the player missing the last eight weeks.
Mbappé has played through it, but as the season starts to near its end, the question is, how many games will he miss for Real Madrid with his injury?
How Many Games Will Kylian Mbappe Be Unable to Play for Real Madrid?
Real Madrid hasn’t announced a full recovery timeline for Mbappé, but according to multiple reports, including one form L’Équipe, he’ll miss at least the next three games. That includes the game against Benfica in the playoffs on Wednesday, February 25. According to research from L’Équipe, the forward had tests on his knee and was ruled out of Wednesday’s game amid that testing.
Also according to the L’Équipe report, Mbappé will need at least 10 days of rest before he can get back on the field. So, he’s expected to not play against Benfica, Getafe and Celta Vigo.
Who Is Replacing Kylian Mbappe? Meet Gonzalo Garcia
According to reports, Gonzalo Garcia is tasked with replacing Mbappe in Wednesday’s game, at least when it comes to starting.
In a June 2025 feature for The Athletic, Mario Cortegana profiled Garcia and called him the “breakthrough star of the Club World Cup.”
“Gonzalo scored the first goal for Xabi Alonso’s Madrid in the opener against Al Hilal, was involved in two of the three goals against Pachuca (one was an assist), and scored again against Red Bull Salzburg,” Cortegana notes.
“Gonzalo’s story in the competition has been like a movie and now that he is a protagonist, something new about him becomes known every day,” he adds of his story. “The latest is that the 21-year-old’s grandfather, the bullfighter Manuel Torres-Cansino, was a cousin of the American actress Margarita Carmen Cansino, commonly known as Rita Hayworth.”
People are watching the game from around the world and commenting on social media. “Fantastic first 15 minutes by Benfica, fully deserved lead, then loose Otamendi pass … punished by Real,” one said. “Like in first leg, Real gradually started to dominate as the half went on. Benfica have to regroup and go all-out start of second half. Wait and see won’t work here.”
“I feel like Benfica has dropped the intensity since Real Madrid’s goal, honestly they’re not going to eliminate Real Madrid,” another said. “Is there anyone who can actually say ‘this is how Real Madrid are set up and that this is how they are playing?’ I’m honestly confused,” one more added.