Kylian Mbappé set for near-month lay-off, return pencilled in for 17 March in Manchester | OneFootball

Days after Álvaro Arbeloa said he was available to face Benfica, Kylian Mbappé now faces close to a month out, with a return pencilled in for 17 March at Manchester City’s Etihad in the Champions League last-16 second leg.

According to L’Equipe, he left training before that match because of persistent pain in his left knee and was omitted from the squad. Tests later indicated the knee was far from healed and that treatment was essential.

An MRI on 31 December 2025 showed a lateral collateral ligament tear in his left knee, sustained against Celta on 7 December. The estimate was three weeks, yet he returned after 11 days and featured for 14 minutes in the Supercopa final, a 3-2 loss to Barcelona.

Xabi Alonso was sacked, Arbeloa succeeded him and left Mbappé out of the 14 January trip to Albacete, when Madrid went out of the Copa del Rey 2-3. Thereafter he completed full matches against Monaco, Levante and Villarreal, with only a pause against Real Sociedad on 14 February.

If the timetable holds, he would miss games against Getafe, Celta Vigo on 6 March and Elche on 14 March, plus the first leg against City on 11 March. He was a substitute without playing in the group-stage meeting with City.

Mbappé is working through rehabilitation and hopes this extended three-week spell out will settle the issue. He has opted against surgery, mindful of this summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Source: El Periódico Mediterráneo