Kylian Mbappe will miss Real Madrid’s Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica after being withdrawn from the squad due to renewed pain in his left knee, Idman.Biz reports.
Despite earlier suggestions from head coach Alvaro Arbeloa that the France international could feature, Mbappe has been deemed unfit following a medical assessment. According to reports in L’Equipe, the 27-year-old cut short Tuesday’s training session, with examinations confirming that the ligament problem he first sustained in December has flared up again. Club doctors are understood to have advised around ten days of complete rest, meaning he is also a doubt for upcoming La Liga fixtures against Getafe and Celta Vigo.
The timing is a significant blow for Madrid. Mbappe has scored 13 goals in this season’s Champions League campaign and remains the club’s leading marksman in Europe. In his absence, the coaching staff are expected to hand a starting role to academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia. The situation is further complicated by the suspension of fellow forward Rodrygo, leaving Madrid short of attacking options.
Real hold a narrow 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Lisbon, where Vinicius Junior scored the decisive goal. With a place in the last 16 at stake, the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu takes on added intrigue as Madrid attempt to finish the job without their most prolific forward.
