Kylian Mbappé plays through knee pain, Real reluctant to rest him, France duty could be affected | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé is still managing pain in his left knee, yet Real Madrid show little inclination to rest their top scorer as they host Real Sociedad at 21:00 on Saturday at the Bernabeu. That stance could have implications for his next France call-up.

Mbappé is in the squad and, when he makes the teamsheet, he usually starts. If that continues, this would be his eighth straight game in a little over a month since returning in the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona, lost 2-3 on 11 January, despite the lingering issue. On Friday, Alvaro Arbeloa said Mbappé had trained with the group and was available.

An MRI on 31 December showed a knee lesion, with an initial three-week lay-off forecast. He came back roughly 10 days early under friendly pressure from Xabi Alonso to chase a first trophy of the season and, incidentally, to save the coach’s job. Neither aim was achieved.

Rested for the Copa del Rey defeat at Albacete (D2), 2-3 on 14 January, he was then recalled by Arbeloa for Levante, a 2-0 win on 17 January. Since then, he has not been spared, aside from one day out of group training this week.

Arbeloa has seen how reliant his side are on the 27-year-old. In 22 league matches he has 23 goals and 4 assists, and in 7 Champions League games he has 13 goals, leading both charts. It seems even less likely he will be rested in Lisbon on Tuesday against Benfica in the play-off first leg.

Some club directors think he could perhaps breathe during the 23-30 March international window if the knee still hurts. That prospect is not shared by the FFF, with a United States tour to face Brazil on 26 March and Colombia on 29 March, largely driven by kit supplier Nike. The brand has renewed with the FFF, paying more than €100m per year until June 2034, and expect the France captain on the east coast, with probable promotional duties.

Source: L'Équipe