The Frenchman’s accelerated return may not have been wise.
Kylian Mbappé continues to complain of knee pain and is not expected to feature for Real Madrid against Levante on Saturday, reports have revealed.
Having picked up the knee problem earlier in December, Mbappé played through discomfort to challenge Cristiano Ronaldo’s calendar-year goal record—ultimately tying the Portugal international at 59—before Madrid confirmed he would need time on the sidelines towards the end of the month.
A timeline of three weeks was put on Mbappé’s recovery and he appeared destined to miss the Spanish Super Cup, only to return off the bench in the final defeat to Barcelona less than two weeks after his initial diagnosis.
According to MARCA, Mbappé has still been training with the Madrid squad but, having been rested for the Copa del Rey defeat to Albacete, is still experiencing discomfort.
As a result, Mbappé is not expected to feature in Saturday’s game against Levante, hopeful that more rest will leave him fit enough for Tuesday’s meeting with former employers Monaco in the Champions League.
Mbappé Rules Out Further Risks After Super Cup Return
The severity of Mbappé’s current concern is not known, but there is confidence that he has not aggravated his knee injury and simply needs a little longer to recover—as was initially expected.
Mbappé has acknowledged it was somewhat ill-advised to rush his return, according to L’Équipe, but he has no regrets about doing so as he wanted to try and help Madrid try and win a trophy at Barcelona’s expense.
Silverware is driving Mbappé’s ambitions and top of the list is victory at the World Cup with France. He wants to ensure he arrives at this summer’s spectacle in top shape and will not take any risks with his health over the second half of the season as a result.
With that in mind, it is suggested that Mbappé may even sit out the game against Monaco and make his return later this month away at Villarreal.
Protecting Mbappé’s fitness will be key for Madrid, even if doing so comes as a short-term blow to new manager Álvaro Arbeloa. Elimination from the Copa del Rey has heaped the pressure on the new boss already and it appears as though he will have to reverse the narrative without his team’s top scorer.
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