As was leaked to the public on Tuesday, Mihic’s predecessors made a number of serious mistakes. The low point: according to The Athletic, an MRI scan was ultimately carried out on the wrong knee of Mbappé, who eventually took the initiative and consulted knee specialist Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet in Paris for a second opinion. In the meantime, he had even played in numerous matches – under the mistaken belief that his (misdiagnosed) injury would heal itself over time.
RMC reporter Daniel Riolo used strong words on the programme "L'After Foot": "For Real, what happened is an absolute disgrace. (...) This misdiagnosis could have had far more serious consequences, as it took Mbappé a long time to find out what was wrong with him. He was active elsewhere, even playing in a few matches, without knowing exactly what was wrong with him. He could have ruined his knee.”
Following his meeting with Sonnery-Cottet, Mbappé embarked on a special muscle-building programme that relieved him of the pain he had been suffering for weeks. The striker now claims to be pain-free and has already returned to the pitch for the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Manchester City.
"My knee is fine. It’s getting better. Things are going pretty well and I know there was a lot of speculation about it and false things were said," he said on Monday, adding meaningfully: "That’s the life of a top-level athlete. We’re used to people saying things without checking them and without any basis."