With just 100 days to go until the World Cup kicks off, reporters have examined Kylian Mbappé’s knee injury – why is his condition so hard to assess, and when will he return?
More than two months after Real Madrid last released an update on Mbappé’s injury, some new news finally emerged on Monday evening. Real Madrid issued a brief statement confirming that Mbappé had undergone further tests in France, which verified he has a knee sprain. This matches the diagnosis the club announced at the end of December. The new statement also added that his previous “conservative treatment” remains valid – seemingly ruling out the possibility of surgery.
Real Madrid has never announced an expected return date for Mbappé, so it came as no real surprise when the club ended its announcement by saying “we will monitor his recovery closely”.
Reporters spoke to several sources close to Mbappé’s injury management. The 27-year-old star has been experiencing discomfort in his left knee since early December. Yet he continued to play and score, before missing Real Madrid’s two matches last week, including Monday night’s shock 1-0 defeat to Getafe.
So why is Mbappé’s injury so difficult to determine? And could it affect his participation for France at the World Cup, which starts in June?
How long has Mbappé’s issue lasted?
Mbappé has been struggling with left knee discomfort for nearly three months. The first signs of a problem emerged after Real Madrid’s 2-0 home La Liga defeat to Celta Vigo on 7th December. Sources within the club’s coaching staff at the time stated Mbappé suffered a knee injury in that match, from which the issue stemmed.
Three days later, Mbappé was not named in the squad for the Champions League match against Manchester City. However, he started and played 90 minutes in all three of Real Madrid’s final matches of 2025, eventually equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s club calendar year goals record of 59.
Ahead of the home game against Man City, Real Madrid sources had suggested he was a doubt – but due to a fractured left ring finger, not his knee. On the eve of the game, the story changed, with Mbappé reported to have left leg muscle discomfort. After speaking to multiple direct sources,Reporters reported that Mbappé was suffering from knee pain.
Mbappé was included in the squad to face Man City but remained an unused substitute in the 2-1 home loss. Several Spanish media outlets reported that then Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso’s job was on the line that night. Three days later, Mbappé started in the Copa del Rey as Real Madrid beat third-tier side Tarazona 3-2 away, sparking debate – including inside the club – that the team might have been managing his minutes to maximize his chances of breaking Ronaldo’s 2013 calendar-year goals record.
Real Madrid returned to training after the La Liga Christmas break. At the traditional annual open training session on 30th December, Mbappé appeared to be struggling, and was seen touching his left knee while speaking to medical staff.
Real Madrid did not release their first public statement on his condition until New Year’s Eve, 24 days after the problem was first detected. The brief statement confirmed Mbappé had been “diagnosed with a left knee sprain”, adding: “We will monitor his recovery closely.”
Club sources at the time said Mbappé would miss Real Madrid’s La Liga home game against Real Betis on 4th January, and his participation in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia later that week was in doubt.
Mbappé did not travel with the squad from Madrid to Jeddah. Reports stated Real Madrid specifically left two physiotherapists to oversee his recovery, to maximize the chance he could feature in the Spanish Super Cup final on 11th January (if Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid in the semi-final).
Real Madrid eventually won that match 2-1, Mbappé flew to join the squad and came on as a substitute for 15 minutes in the final, but Real Madrid lost 3-2 to Barcelona. Alonso was sacked the next day, less than eight months after taking charge.
Mbappé’s brief appearance against Barcelona came 21 days after the Tarazona tie, but the pain did not go away. He did not feature as Real Madrid were knocked out of the Copa del Rey by Segunda División side Albacete on 14th January – the first game in charge of new manager Alberto Arbeloa.
Since then, he has made 8 appearances and scored 9 goals. Mbappé was an unused substitute against Real Sociedad on 14th February, and missed last Wednesday’s Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica, which Real Madrid won 3-1 on aggregate.
He then appeared to be struggling in last Saturday’s La Liga away game at Osasuna, despite playing the full 90 minutes in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory.
How long will Mbappé be out for?
After Mbappé missed the Benfica game last week, Arbeloa said: “He was definitely feeling unwell in the days before, and we decided to play him anyway, but after yesterday’s training session, we spoke to the doctors, he spoke to the doctors, and we decided to stop, rest properly, and come back with confidence.”
“It’s hard to tell the difference between discomfort and injury. Normally, if someone can’t play, it’s because they’re injured. We can call it an injury. We’ll have to wait and see if it clears up in a few days, it shouldn’t take long, but he needs to rest properly.”
Real Madrid’s treatment plan has been cautious, including reducing Mbappé’s training load. Yet apart from his substitute appearance against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup, he has played the full 90 minutes in every game he has featured in.
Real Madrid are desperate for him to return as soon as possible. Next Wednesday, Manchester City return to Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. After Monday’s shock defeat to Getafe, Real Madrid are now 4 points behind Barcelona in La Liga, with 26 of 38 rounds played. They have already been eliminated from the Copa del Rey, lost the Spanish Super Cup, and have not looked truly competitive in their 10 European matches so far this season.
Mbappé’s representatives said on Monday that after the player visited doctors in Paris, “no surgery is currently planned”. Real Madrid fitness coach Sebastián de Villeraz and physiotherapist Willy Zaldo accompanied him to Paris at the time.
Real Madrid sources confirmed they also do not expect him to undergo surgery – a position hinted at in the club’s previous statement, which emphasized the “conservative recovery programme”.
According to Real Madrid, there is no estimated timeline for Mbappé’s return. A member of staff at the training ground said Mbappé sometimes feels completely normal, and at other times is in severe pain – which may explain the treatment plan so far, and why he has been able to play multiple matches since the injury emerged last December.
With less than four months until France’s World Cup opener against reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions Senegal, any player would be concerned about their availability for the tournament – and Real Madrid are now discussing the issue more frequently.
However, a dressing-room source said on Tuesday that Mbappé is “calm” about the situation now, as he has a “clearer plan”. As for whether surgery is needed, two leading medical experts interviewed by reporters said surgery could be considered if the knee sprain shows no signs of improvement, to prevent the condition worsening or further damage. But they agreed it is not routine, and would not be appropriate in this case.
Juan Ayala, former president of the Spanish Society of Sports Traumatology and head of the Knee and Sports Trauma Unit at Madrid’s San Rafael Hospital, said: “In most cases, surgery is not necessary.”
“If it is a mild injury (grade 1), such as a stretched ligament, or a moderate injury (grade 2), such as a partial tear, surgery is usually not required, only conservative treatment. A grade 1 sprain needs at least three weeks of rest, a grade 2 sprain at least six weeks.
However, if a player keeps playing, these injuries often become chronic and have a worse prognosis. If the injury is not treated properly, instability can occur, and surgery may eventually be needed.”
Orthopedic surgeon Diego García-Hermosa, who was part of the Spanish medical team at the recent Winter Olympics, holds a similar view.
“If Mbappé can keep playing, it is highly likely he only has a minor injury. It may be that the injury has not healed, or that the conservative treatment is not working. If the injury fails to heal on its own, surgery could be an option. But for a minor injury, surgery is uncommon.”
“This injury is probably mild, but more troublesome than previous ones. On the surface, the severity has not stopped him from playing, and he may just be in some pain now. Given we are using conservative treatment, we expect the injury to heal on its own, so it just needs time to recover.”
Mbappé has scored 38 of Real Madrid’s 87 goals in all competitions this season (43.7%). Since the start of 2026, he has missed 1/3 of Real Madrid’s matches (5 out of 15). Real Madrid need him back – but it looks like they (and France, who face Brazil and Colombia in friendlies this month) will have to wait – with no idea exactly how long