Mbappé on Real bench, skips warm-up before Real-Atlético derby | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé was a surprise substitute for Real Madrid’s derby with Atlético Madrid and did not take part in the pre-match warm-up. According to L'Équipe, the club view the decision as unrelated to any recurrence of his left knee issue, he trained fully this week and has not felt pain.

On Saturday head coach Alvaro Arbeloa said Mbappé was back to full fitness and insisted he would play before facing Atlético.

The team sheet, released 90 minutes before kick-off, confirmed he would begin on the bench. He was the only Madrid player to skip the warm-up, with substitutes permitted to work inside rather than on the pitch.

In December, when he was a substitute against Manchester City in the Champions League, he also stayed away from the warm-up and did not enter the game, which finished 1-2. On Tuesday he played the final 25 minutes of the round of 16 second leg, a 2-1 win over City.

Even so, the episode is hardly reassuring ahead of the next France camp.

Source: L'Équipe