Mbappe injury update: Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa delivers unexpected seven-word message

The past few days have been turbulent for Real Madrid following their eliminations from the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey. Those setbacks were compounded by concerns over the physical condition of Kylian Mbappe, an issue that Alvaro Arbeloa addressed publicly.

The interim coach held a press conference on Friday ahead of Saturday’s La Liga match against Levante, where he was asked about Mbappe. The forward’s availability for the game was in doubt due to lingering knee problems he has been dealing with in recent weeks.

“He’s better and will be called up,” Arbeloa said, according to Marca. It was unexpectedly good news for Real Madrid, considering the French forward had missed two of the team’s last three matches — against Real Betis in La Liga and against Albacete in the Copa del Rey — and had only played limited minutes against Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final.

Speculation suggested Mbappe would be given time off to fully recover, which would have extended his absence for upcoming La Liga and UEFA Champions League fixtures. However, his physical progress and the team’s urgent situation have led to an accelerated return timeline.

Arbeloa explains Bellingham’s absence from the Copa del Rey

Real Madrid’s surprise elimination against Albacete in the Copa del Rey triggered heavy criticism of the coach. Arbeloa had made the unexpected decision to leave stars such as Jude Bellingham, Thibaut Courtois, Alvaro Carreras, and Aurelien Tchouameni out of the squad, in addition to injured players like Mbappe.

The final result, which sealed Los Blancos’ elimination, inevitably put renewed scrutiny on that decision. Alvaro Arbeloa has now explained the reasoning behind leaving several key stars out of the lineup.

“The squad was made up of players who were able to play. Those who were left out were either injured or at risk of injury,” Arbeloa said, before addressing Bellingham directly. “He has to be another one of the team’s leaders. I’m going to ask him to be important, to have an impact on the game. I want him to step onto the field knowing exactly what he has to do.”

Real Madrid’s upcoming challenges

After suffering two eliminations in the span of a week, Real Madrid now face two major objectives for the remainder of the season. The first is La Liga, where they currently sit second in the standings, four points behind league leaders Barcelona. To stay within striking distance, they will need a win on Saturday against Levante at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Following that match, Arbeloa’s team will have just three days of rest before the UEFA Champions League resumes. Next Tuesday, they will host AS Monaco in the penultimate match of the league phase, aiming for a victory that would help secure a direct spot in the round of 16.