Real Madrid Rocked by Severity of Kylian Mbappe Injury—Report

Madrid face huge clashes against Atlético and potentially Barcelona during the first few weeks of January.

Kylian Mbappé played through injury across the final games of 2025. / Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Kylian Mbappé is reportedly set for “at least” three weeks on the sidelines with a knee injury which he has been carrying for some time.

The France captain first pulled up in December’s defeat to Celta Vigo. He powered through to finish that match but was not fit enough to be called off the bench for a crucial Champions League clash against Manchester City three days later.

Despite still suffering from discomfort in his knee, Mbappé battled through to play every available minute of Madrid’s final three fixtures of the calendar year, racking up four goals in the process to equal Cristiano Ronaldo’s historic goal tally. Yet, the consequences of that short-term pain threaten to derail Real Madrid over the coming weeks.

Sign Up to Get Informed With SI FC. dark. FREE NEWSLETTER. New SI FC Newsletter Global Embed

An MRI scan on Wednesday has revealed a torn ligament in Mbappé’s knee, per L’Équipe. This may have caused the 26-year-old considerable pain but is not thought to require surgery. Instead, he is expected to rest for at least three weeks.

Real Madrid confirmed later the same day that Mbappé had sprained his left knee, although the brief statement did not provide a return date.

Kylian Mbappé is Madrid’s top scorer. / Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

The reported timeline projects Mbappé’s recovery at some point in the second half of January, with a visit from Monaco in Madrid’s penultimate fixture of the Champions League’s league phase potentially coming fractionally too soon on Jan. 20. Xabi Alonso’s side are scheduled to face high-flying Villarreal five days later.

Even if Mbappé’s miraculous powers of recovery are re-established, MARCA claim that he will “definitely” miss January’s Spanish Super Cup. The four-team mini tournament in Saudi Arabia pits Real against city rivals Atlético Madrid in the semifinals on Jan. 7 before a potential showpiece fixture with Barcelona or Athletic Club.

Given Alonso’s delicate position in the Real Madrid dugout, success in this tournament is billed as a crucial factor behind his wobbly job prospects. Mbappé is the last player he would have wanted to lose.

---

Alonso Given Ultimate Test by Mbappé’s Absence

Kylian Mbappé (right) is the leader of Xabi Alonso’s attack. / Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images

Any vague goal threat which Real Madrid have generated this season was almost certainly orchestrated by Mbappé. The roving center forward is the beating heart of the capital club’s attacking impetus, boasting as many league goals (18) as the rest of the roster put together.

In an effort to stamp his authority on this ego-riddled dressing room, Alonso made a point of rotating the likes of Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, insisting that no one was a special case. Except, that is, for Mbappé. Of Madrid’s 25 fixtures across all competitions this season, the Frenchman has started 24. That defeat to City, when he was struck down with this recurring knee injury, is his only absence since a bout of gastroenteritis forced him into hospital during last summer’s Club World Cup.

Mbappé clearly revels in this protagonist role. After scoring all four goals in a chaotic Champions League victory over Olympiacos earlier this season, Madrid’s talisman declared: “You shouldn’t say there’s too much dependency on me when we lose. You should say I’m one of those responsible for not winning. You should say that Kylian didn’t score and he has to score.”

Madrid’s dependency on Mbappé will be tested to the extreme over the coming weeks as this knee injury denies him any chance of riding to the rescue with more goals.

Statistic (La Liga)	Mbappé Value	Next Best at Real Madrid
Goals	18	5 (Vinicius Jr)
xG	15.7	6.4 (Vinicius Jr)
Total Shots	82	49 (Vinicius Jr)
Shots on Target	33	20 (Vinicius Jr)
xA	5.0	3.7 (Arda Güler)
Chances Created	49	40 (Arda Güler)
Passes into Penalty Area	35	25 (Vinicius Jr)
Successful Dribbles	51	43 (Vinicius Jr)

Stats via FBref.

---

READ THE LATEST LA LIGA NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND GOSSIP

feed