Franco-Cameroon star Kylian Mbappe expected to be fit for Villarreal clash

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is expected to be available for Saturday’s La Liga meeting with Villarreal despite recently picking up an injury while on international duty with France.

Mbappe suffered the injury while attempting to strike the ball during France’s match against Turkey. The forward was unable to continue and was subsequently released from the French squad to return to Madrid, where he was scheduled to undergo further medical assessment.

His early return to the Spanish capital raised concerns over his availability for Real Madrid’s next league fixture, particularly with the club looking to respond strongly after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

However, the injury is not expected to keep Mbappe out of the Villarreal game this weekend.

The France international did not take part in Real Madrid’s group training session on Tuesday morning as he continues his recovery. Instead, he worked inside the gym as part of an individual rehabilitation programme.

Mbappe had already completed an individual training session on Monday as he stepped up his recovery and worked towards returning to full fitness.

The forward is expected to rejoin his teammates in training on Wednesday after spending around 12 days recovering from the injury.

That would give Mbappe sufficient time to regain his fitness ahead of Saturday’s fixture and potentially put him in contention to feature against Villarreal.

Real Madrid will host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, October 10, with the reigning Spanish giants eager to bounce back from their disappointing derby defeat.

Mbappe’s availability would provide a major boost to Xabi Alonso’s side as they look to return to winning ways and maintain their push at the top end of the La Liga table.

The club will nevertheless continue to monitor his condition closely during the final stages of his recovery before making a definitive decision on his involvement against Villarreal.