🚨Breaking: Mbappé ruled out of Benfica return leg | OneFootball

Real Madrid has suffered a major setback ahead of the decisive second leg of the Champions League playoffs. Kylian Mbappé will not be present this Wednesday against Benfica due to a persistent injury in his left knee. The French striker had to leave training last Tuesday after experiencing intense pain, and subsequent tests confirmed that his recovery is far from complete.

Kylian’s sacrifice reaches its limit

Although coach Álvaro Arbeloa publicly defended the striker’s availability just hours earlier, physical reality prevailed. Mbappé has been playing "on one leg" for the past six weeks, pushing through a ligament tear suffered in December. Even though his commitment to the club has been total, the risk of aggravating the injury and jeopardizing his participation in the 2026 World Cup has forced an immediate halt to his activity.

Uncertainty and recovery protocol

The French captain is expected to rest completely for the next ten days, missing the matches against Getafe and Celta in La Liga. The medical goal is for him to return for a potential Champions League round of 16, as long as Madrid manages to secure qualification without their top scorer on the field.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 ANDER GILLENEA - AFP or licensors