Summary of this article
Kylian Mbappe sprained his knee in December 2025
Real Madrid medical team reportedly scanned the wrong knee
Star forward was then out of action for three-and-a-half weeks
Real Madrid could have a lot to answer for, if a latest report regarding Kylian Mbappe's knee injury is to be believed. The La Liga club's medical staff is said to have performed an MRI on the wrong leg, leading to misdiagnosis and the star forward playing with a torn knee for three more matches.
According to The Athletic's report, Real Madrid's medical team did not find anything wrong in the initial scan in December 2025 because it was done on the right knee, while the injury was on the left one. The 27-year-old was cleared to play and resultantly aggravated his injury, the report adds, suffering a partial tear in the posterior ligament of his left knee.
Impact Of Injury 'Mismanagement'
Mbappe had been in great form until he sprained his knee in December. The former Paris Saint-Germain player, who joined Madrid in the summer of 2024, played throughout January but was then out of action for three-and-a-half weeks before making his latest comeback.
He was used as a substitute in his team's last two matches as he works his way back into form and has joined his France teammates ahead of a couple of friendlies in the United States.
“There was a lot of frustration, a lot of anger, and then also some anxiety at one point,” Mbappe told French media at a recent promotional event. “I had reached a stage where I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I didn’t go through that period in the best way. I wasn’t the happiest player in the world. But I’m happy now because it’s truly behind me. It’s all gone.”
He added: “I wanted to be very cautious so as not to come back too quickly and risk a relapse or pick up another injury elsewhere. I wasn’t afraid of reinjuring my knee, but of getting hurt somewhere else, because after four or five weeks without playing, you have to get all the other muscles going again. That’s why I took my time.”
Mbappe also lashed out at the “baseless” information that circulated during his absence. “A lot of people gave a diagnosis, even though until not very long ago I didn’t have one myself,” he said. “From that point on it was easy to say that everything being said was wrong. I heard a lot of things — surgery, that I might not play again, that I wouldn’t be able to play in the World Cup. It was all completely baseless.”
He added that he hopes to play with France during the international break as Les Bleus ramp up preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
When did Kylian Mbappe get injured?
Kylian Mbappe sprained his knee while playing a La Liga game for Real Madrid in December 2025.
How long was Kylian Mbappe out of action?
Kylian Mbappe was sidelined for three-and-a-half weeks with the knee injury.
What was Kylian Mbappe's reaction to all the talk around his injury?
Kylian Mbappe lashed out at the “baseless” information that circulated during his absence, stating that "everything being said was wrong".
