Real Madrid’s coach, Álvaro Arbeloa, has stated that Kylian Mbappé‘s recovery from his injury is progressing positively, despite uncertainty surrounding his return to the squad. The young forward is currently battling a left knee sprain, a condition reported by the club earlier this week, which has been an issue since December. No specific timeline for his comeback has been established.
This Friday, Madrid will face Celta Vigo in LaLiga, before heading into next week’s Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Manchester City, followed by a league match against Elche and a return leg at City on March 17th.
“I speak to [Mbappé] every day,” Arbeloa mentioned during a news conference on Friday. “His situation is under control; he’s improving daily. This is a process we will manage day by day, based on how he feels. For now, the news is good.”
Mbappé also missed last week’s Champions League playoff second leg against Benfica and Monday’s 1-0 defeat at the Bernabéu against Getafe, which has left Madrid four points behind Barcelona in the title chase.
The team is also without injured Jude Bellingham, who is anticipated to return in April as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Recently, both Mbappé and Bellingham travelled to France and England, respectively, to seek medical advice regarding their injuries. Madrid indicated on Monday that French doctors concur with the club’s decision to pursue “conservative treatment” for Mbappé’s sprain.
“All arrangements regarding the players’ injuries—Jude in London and Mbappé in Paris—are managed by Real Madrid’s medical and physical department,” Arbeloa clarified. “Mbappé visited Paris accompanied by Real Madrid staff, and everything is governed by our medical team.”
Madrid has recently suffered consecutive LaLiga losses to both Osasuna and Getafe, intensifying the pressure to keep pace with Barcelona in the title race.
“At a club like Madrid, dealing with a defeat is always difficult,” Arbeloa acknowledged. “It’s a four-point gap. As long as we have a mathematical chance, we’ll keep fighting.”
– Rodrygo (torn ACL) out for the season and will miss the World Cup
– Madrid confirms Mbappé’s knee sprain and adopts a conservative approach
– Mbappé is uncertain for the clash against Manchester City in the Champions League, admits Arbeloa
Two prominent summer signings, Dean Huijsen, 20, and Franco Mastantuono, 18, have faced recent criticism from fans and the media regarding their performances, with some supporters even booing Huijsen at the Bernabéu.
“Look at Mastantuono; the under-19 team is full of players his age,” Arbeloa commented. “At Huijsen’s age, he could be playing for [the reserve team] Castilla. Consider the journey of Vinícius, who faced similar scrutiny, and now he has two Champions League titles and is hailed as one of the world’s best. We must remain patient.”