Kylian Mbappe faces toughest injury season at Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappe is living through the most injury-hit campaign of his career, and the frustration around Real Madrid is growing.

The French superstar has already missed 53 days through different setbacks this season, eclipsing his previous worst mark of 51 days in 2019–20, as detailed by MARCA.

Over the past three months alone, Mbappe has been sidelined eight separate times, a stark change from his usual image as one of the game’s most durable and explosive forwards. Last season he was out for just 24 days, and across his final three years at PSG he missed only 42 days in total, underlining how unusual this year’s struggles are.

The main issue is a recurring left knee sprain that first appeared after a December clash with Celta Vigo and has never fully settled. A flare-up in training at Valdebebas earlier this week has forced an even more cautious approach, with Mbappe choosing conservative treatment instead of surgery to protect his chances of playing at the 2026 World Cup with France.

He is already ruled out of Real Madrid’s next two matches, and his availability for the Champions League round of 16 first leg against Manchester City is seriously in doubt.

For a player used to deciding big nights on the pitch, repeatedly ending up in the treatment room has become an unwelcome and deeply unsettling new reality.