Real Madrid's bid to challenge for this season's La Liga title has suffered a major blow after it was confirmed that Kylian Mbappe has suffered a knee injury.
The news is a major blow to Los Blancos' efforts to close the gap on league leaders Barcelona.
“Following tests carried out today on our player Kylian Mbappé by the medical services of Real Madrid, he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee. The development is awaited,” Real Madrid said in a statement.
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Real Madrid gave no specific timeline for recovery, but a source close to the France international told AFP the 27-year-old forward is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks.
He could also miss the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against city rivals Atletico Madrid in Saudi Arabia on January 8, as well as a league match against Levante and a Champions League clash against his former club Monaco.
Real Madrid did not reveal when or how the injury occurred, although Mbappe trained with the team on Tuesday before undergoing an MRI scan on Wednesday.
The setback comes after a brilliant 2025 for Mbappe, during which he equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's club record of 59 goals in a calendar year and frequently carried the team forward amid pressure on head coach Xabi Alonso.
Since joining Real Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain 18 months ago, Mbappé has scored 73 goals in 83 matches.
He finished as La Liga's top scorer last season with 31 goals, four goals more than Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski, and is currently seven goals ahead of Barcelona's Ferran Torres in this season's scoring charts.
