France international has had a few injury problems this season and Madrid will want him fit ahead of a crucial run of fixtures
Kylian Mbappe missed Real Madrid’s Champions League second leg playoff tie against Benfica at the Bernabeu. Vinicius Junior occupied the headlines after the events of that fixture, and his goals home and away to lead Madrid into the last 16.
But despite Vinicius’s upturn in form after an exceedingly long goal drought spanning the run up to Christmas last year and the turn of the new year, Mbappe is still a key piece in Madrid’s attacking machine and if Los Blancos are to make headway in the Champions League and overthrow Barcelona at the top of La Liga, they need their French goalscorer.
“He had to leave training [on Tuesday ahead of the Benfica game], and on other days he has felt discomfort,” said manager Alvaro Arbeloa. “After [Tuesday’s] training, I spoke with him, and we consulted with the medical team.
“We believed it was best for him to stop and recover 100 per cent, so he can return in top form and confidence without discomfort for what’s ahead.
“He’s very important, and from now on, we’ll wait. Let’s see if it’s a matter of days, and hopefully, it won’t take too long, but we’ll take the necessary time for Mbappe to regain confidence and for the discomfort to disappear.”
Mbappe has been out for a few spells this season. He was out for five days with muscular problems early in December, before missing two games later that month with a knee injury. He then missed the tie against Benfica with further knee problems.
🚨🇫🇷 Álvaro Arbeloa on Mbappé injury: “The best thing was to stop and recover. He can’t play. We hope he will be back in a few days or weeks”. pic.twitter.com/2q3zuxJuov
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 27, 2026
Pressed on whether knee problems that kept the 27-year-old out of the match against Benfica were simply down to discomfort or actual injury, Arbeloa said: “I couldn’t tell you the difference between discomfort and an injury.
“When he stops, it’s because we believe it’s necessary since he doesn’t feel comfortable or at ease. If he doesn’t play, it’s because I understand he’s injured.
“When discomfort prevents you from playing, if we want to call it an injury, we can call it an injury, but it seems to be, and I hope it is, not a serious injury, a minor issue, and he can return in a few days or weeks.
“We have a diagnosis, but I’m not the one to disclose such data about the players’ health. We are very clear about what was happening, what has happened, and what’s happening now. We want him to recover, be at 100 per cent, and that’s why we decided he should stop.”
