Real Madrid Dealt Brutal Kylian Mbappe Injury Blow—Report

The France international could not complete training on the eve of facing Benfica.

Real Madrid could be without their best goalscorer on Wednesday. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé will reportedly miss out on the second leg of the Champions League knockout phase playoffs against Benfica due to injury.

The Frenchman has been nursing a recurring knee issue since December, playing while not fully fit due to the massive nature of Los Blancos’ recent fixtures, including the Spanish Super Cup final and the first leg against Benfica.

Yet the injury has seemingly caught up with Mbappé, who could not complete training on Tuesday afternoon. L’Équipe report the forward underwent tests on his knee and is now ruled out of featuring at the Bernabéu on Wednesday evening.

Mbappé has been playing through pain he has “never experienced before in his career” and cannot continue on or else the problem could worsen, impacting both Real Madrid’s title aspirations and France’s World Cup hopes.

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When Will Mbappé Return From His Knee Injury?

Kylian Mbappé has already missed time due to the same knee injury. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Real Madrid have yet to confirm the status of the France international, but L’Équipe report Mbappé will need at least 10 days of rest before he can return to action. Therefore, he will be expected to miss out against Benfica, Getafe and Celta Vigo.

The injury comes at a particularly cruel time for Los Blancos. Not only is their Champions League progress on the line, but also their La Liga hopes. More dropped points against Getafe and/or Celta Vigo could all-but diminish the club’s hopes of stealing the Spanish crown from Barcelona, who have a one-point gap atop the table.

Still, if Mbappé is indeed only out for less than two weeks, he would be back in time to feature in the Champions League round of 16, should Real Madrid make it past Benfica in the knockout playoffs.

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Potential Mbappé Replacements at Real Madrid

Gonzalo García will likely fill in for Kylian Mbappé against Benfica. | Maciej Rogowski/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images

Replacing Mbappé at Real Madrid is an impossible task. After all, the 27-year-old leads the team with 38 goals across all competitions. Vinicius Junior, the next highest goalscorer in white, has found the back of the net 12 times.

Normally Rodrygo would be the obvious choice to slot in alongside his fellow countryman up top, but he is suspended for the second leg after being sent off in the team’s final league phase match.

Álvaro Arbeloa’s next best option is to deploy Gonzalo García. The Spaniard is a natural No. 9, with clinical finishing and a knack for being in the right place at the right time to score goals. Since his breakout at the Club World Cup last summer, he has bagged 10 goals playing as Mbappé’s backup.

None of those have come in the Champions League. In fact, Gonzalo has never found the back of the net in Europe’s premier club competition. The pressure will be on the 21-year-old to open his account on Wednesday in a game that could define Real Madrid’s season.

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