Real Madrid receives very bad news about Mbappe ahead of the Champions League match

Kylian Mbappe is expected to be absent from the Champions League play-off second leg clash between Real Madrid and Benfica after suffering a knee injury in the most recent training.

According to L’Equipe, the French forward had to leave Real Madrid’s training on February 24th because of persistent pain in his left knee. Later that afternoon, he underwent a detailed examination which indicated Mbappe is almost “unable” to participate in the rematch against Benfica at Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

This is a significant blow for the Spanish giants who currently hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg in Lisbon. The Bernabeu match will take place at 3:00 AM on February 26th, and the winner will advance to the Champions League round of 16 to face either Manchester City or Sporting.

Ironically, just hours before the medical results came out, coach Alvaro Arbeloa remained optimistic about Mbappe’s condition. During a press conference, he stated: “Kylian is ready to play tomorrow. The most important thing right now is that he is prepared to compete. I want to emphasize the extraordinary commitment and effort Mbappe has shown to the team, his teammates, and the fans. He is a player who can decide a game with a single moment.”

However, the latest developments suggest the French forward will most likely have to watch from the sidelines.

Besides the squad concerns, the second leg is also overshadowed by controversy from the first leg. Vinicius Jr accused Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni of racial discrimination after scoring the only goal of the match. Prestianni is currently suspended for one Champions League game, despite denying the allegations and claiming his insults were homophobic slurs.

Coach Arbeloa called on UEFA to take stronger action: “This is an opportunity to make a turning point in the fight against racism. UEFA can do more than just deliver nice slogans before matches.”

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois emphasized: “Racism or homophobia is unacceptable. You cannot justify an alleged offense by blaming a celebration.”

Now, all eyes are on the Bernabeu, where Real Madrid must solve personnel issues while aiming to close out the play-off round with a convincing performance.