Mbappé injury update: Will Real Madrid star make Man City second leg?
Real Madrid take a healthy first-leg lead to the Etihad Stadium, where Kylian Mbappé is eager to return to action for Los Blancos.
Kylian Mbappé will board the plane with the rest of the Real Madrid squad on Monday, as Los Blancos fly to the U.K. for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester City.
And Mbappé won’t be traveling as a spectator or a simple tag‑along. The French star wants to be available against Pep Guardiola’s side, so he can help Madrid reach the quarterfinals yet again.
Mbappé knows exactly what’s at stake and refuses to turn his back on either the team or his share of responsibility. Just as he did in January’s Spanish Super Cup final, he wants to be right there with his teammates.
Mbappé knee showing clear improvement
The treatment plan and the work Mbappé has put in over the past three weeks are finally delivering the expected results, and the improvement in his left knee is clear. That doesn’t mean the troublesome injury is completely behind him, but the progress is significant and has opened the door to his presence at the Etihad Stadium.
With 13 goals in eight matches, the striker is the leading scorer in this season’s Champions League, ahead of Anthony Gordon (10), Harry Kane (8), and the trio of Julián Álvarez, Erling Haaland, and Victor Osimhen (7 each). He has taken 45 shots, 24 of them on target. In total, he has 68 goals in Europe’s top competition across 93 games - sixth on the all‑time list behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema, and Raúl.
Will Mbappé start against City?
All signs point to Mbappé starting on the bench, waiting for his moment if the script calls for it - just as he did in Jeddah against Barcelona. He wants to help, to be with his group. The feeling around him in recent days has been overwhelmingly positive.
The discomfort in his knee is fading, and the conservative treatment plan he has followed (with medical experts advising against surgery for this type of injury) has proven to be the right course of action.
Mbappé’s decision to avoid surgery had nothing to do with the World Cup on the horizon. It was purely medical. Recovery required a specific rehabilitation program, not a trip to the operating room.
Over the past two days, Mbappé has made it clear at Valdebebas that he wants to face City and that his recovery is on the right track. His teammates’ performance in last Wednesday’s 3-0 first-leg win has given him - and Real Madrid’s other injured players - a significant boost. Still, the plan remains zero risk unless the match itself demands otherwise on Tuesday.
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