Real Madrid coach confirms Kylian Mbappe will miss significant time with a knee issue, ending his run of playing through pain for the club
REAL Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed star striker Kylian Mbappe will not make a quick return from a knee injury.
The 27-year-old France captain, who has been playing through pain for months, is expected to miss at least 10 days of recovery.
“It was a bit of a consensus between everyone (Mbappe, the coach and the doctors), and we think the best thing is that he stops, that he recovers and comes back at 100%,” Arbeloa told Movistar.
He added that the absence would be longer than a matter of days, though he could not specify an exact timeline.
Sources told AFP that Real’s top scorer withdrew from the squad for the Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica after feeling “pain that was too persistent” in training.
The decision was made to ensure Mbappe returns at full fitness rather than risk further aggravation.