Real Madrid have been dealt a significant blow with the news that their talismanic forward, Kylian Mbappe, is set for a spell on the sidelines. The French superstar has suffered a left knee sprain that will reportedly keep him out of action for a minimum of three weeks.
Scan Reveals Lesion, Form Disrupted
The injury was confirmed by the club after French sports publication L'Equipe first reported on his impending absence. An MRI scan taken on Wednesday morning revealed a lesion in the knee, requiring a period of treatment and rest. Mbappe has been playing through discomfort for several weeks, a testament to his commitment, but the scan results have now forced a halt.
This setback interrupts a phenomenal individual campaign for the 25-year-old. He has netted 29 goals and provided five assists in just 24 appearances for Los Blancos this season, a level of performance that had firmly placed him in contention for the coveted Ballon d'Or award. He found the net in Madrid's last two league outings against Sevilla and Deportivo Alaves.
Fixture Fallout and Team Impact
If the recovery timeline holds, Mbappe will miss a series of crucial fixtures. Domestically, Real Madrid face Real Betis and Levante in LaLiga. In Europe, they have a Champions League league phase match against Monaco. All these games are at the Bernabeu and are considered winnable even in his absence.
However, the striker will definitely miss the Supercopa de Espana semi-final clash against rivals Atletico Madrid. His absence in that high-stakes cup tie will be keenly felt. The priority for Carlo Ancelotti's side will be to sustain their form without their top scorer. They currently sit second in LaLiga, four points behind leaders Barcelona, and are seventh in their Champions League group.
Mbappe's Record-Breaking Season and Ronaldo Praise
The injury comes on the back of a record-equalling year for Mbappe in 2025. He scored 59 goals for Real Madrid, matching the club record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013. Reflecting on that achievement, Mbappe paid a heartfelt tribute to his idol, calling Ronaldo "the best player in Real Madrid's history."
"It's incredible, in my first [full] year to be able to do what Cristiano did," Mbappe said. After copying Ronaldo's iconic 'siu' celebration for his final goal of that year, he added: "The celebration is for him. I wanted to give him a shout-out because he's always been good to me, he's helped me adapt to Madrid."
This season, Mbappe also leads the LaLiga scoring charts with 18 goals, which astonishingly account for half of Madrid's total league haul. His incredible form included a hat-trick in under seven minutes against Olympiacos in the Champions League, a treble that was still 30 seconds shy of Mohamed Salah's competition record.
The coming weeks will be a test of Real Madrid's squad depth as they aim to keep their trophy ambitions on track without their primary attacking weapon.
