Kylian Mbappe has returned to Real Madrid for treatment after suffering a knee injury while on international duty with France, but footage of the forward in Paris with his girlfriend has prompted surprise in Spain.
Mbappe will miss France’s Nations League match against Italy on Friday evening, a game that will mark Zinedine Zidane’s first on French soil as the team’s manager.
The France captain scored the winning goal against Turkey last Friday before leaving the field with the injury. Real Madrid later issued a statement after medical tests were carried out on the player.
“Following the tests carried out today by Real Madrid’s medical team on our player Kylian Mbappe, he has been diagnosed with a tear to the posterior capsule of his left knee. His condition will be monitored closely,” the club said.
Real Madrid did not specify how long Mbappe would be unavailable, which is usual when the club announces an injury. Reports in the Spanish media have suggested different recovery periods, with some outlets claiming he could be out for two weeks and others indicating an absence of only 10 days.
AS reported that Mbappe had avoided the worst-case scenario of a serious injury requiring surgery. The former Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain forward appears to be in good condition, although the diagnosis initially came as a surprise to Real Madrid, who had expected him to be sidelined for several weeks.
Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho are continuing to consider alternative options in case Mbappe does not recover fully, but neither is reported to be unhappy with the situation.
Spanish television programme El Chiringuito provided an update on Thursday, claiming that Mbappe had not visited Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground during the previous two days, despite being injured and requiring treatment.
One guest on the programme said: “The situation is puzzling. He arrives injured from France but does not receive treatment in the city where he plays.”
The programme supported its report with video footage and photographs that appeared to show Mbappe in Paris with his girlfriend, Ester Exposito. His presence in the French capital has caused considerable discussion in Spain.
It is not the first time Mbappe’s movements while injured have attracted attention. His trip to Sardinia while recovering from an injury last season also prompted a similar reaction.
It remains unclear whether Mbappe had permission from Real Madrid and the club’s medical staff to travel to Paris, although that is considered likely. The circumstances have nevertheless given further ammunition to those who accuse the forward of exaggerating or pretending to be injured.
