Manchester City travel to the Santiago Bernabeu for the Champions League first leg with Real Madrid suffering from injuries to key players
Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are doubts for the Champions League clash with Man City.
View 2 Images
Real Madrid have been dealt a significant setback ahead of their Champions League encounter with Manchester City, as Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are both expected to be absent for the first leg. Pep Guardiola's team will travel to the Spanish capital aiming to secure an advantage to take back to the Etihad Stadium.
Los Blancos have already suffered an injury blow with Rodrygo being ruled out for the rest of the season. It is not expected that Mbappe and Bellingham will recover from their respective injuries in time for the Champions League match on Wednesday night, but they could be fit for the second leg.
Dario AS reports that Mbappe's left knee is responding well to treatment, whilst Bellingham could make a comeback for the game at the Etihad Stadium as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Both players have consulted specialists for further diagnosis, with Mbappe in Paris and Bellingham in London, accompanied by Real Madrid staff.
Arbeloa recently commented on the injured pair, saying: "Yes, I speak to him [Mbappe] every day. We're keeping a close eye on what's happening to him, how he's doing.
"It's a process we'll take day by day, monitoring how he's feeling. He's getting better every day. All these decisions are overseen by the club's doctors.
"Mbappe is in Paris with Real Madrid employees, Bellingham is in London with Real Madrid professionals. Everything, absolutely everything, is supervised."
MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 01: Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid goes down with an injury during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 01, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
(Image: Getty Images)
View 2 Images
Bellingham's most recent injury blow casts doubt over his availability for Thomas Tuchel's final England squad ahead of this summer's World Cup in the United States.
Whilst there's no precise timeline for the midfielder's recovery, Madrid remain optimistic the problem isn't serious and he could feature in the return leg on March 17.
Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola's men face Newcastle United in the FA Cup this afternoon and will be keen to avoid any fitness concerns of their own.
City will be without Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol for the Madrid trip, whilst youngsters Max Alleyne and Nico O'Reilly have both sustained minor injuries in recent weeks.