​L'Équipe: Mbappé Unwilling to Rush Return; May Miss Levante Match, Monaco Game in Doubt

  
January 16 – According to *L'Équipe*, Kylian Mbappé is still recovering from a left knee injury after making an early return for the Spanish Super Cup final against Barcelona. Although the pain has eased, the Real Madrid forward is not fully free of discomfort and is expected to miss this Saturday's La Liga home match against Levante.

Without Mbappé, matches have never been easy for Real Madrid, and the Whites will likely have to cope without their star forward again this Saturday at home against Levante. Despite the gradual reduction of pain in his left knee, the French international is not yet in condition to handle high-intensity matches.

Mbappé had been in a recovery phase due to the knee injury but insisted on playing in last Sunday's Super Cup final against Barcelona, a decision that significantly accelerated his return. Although he has no regrets about the choice, he has now made it clear that he does not want to take any further risks and will only consider a formal return when he can play a full match without concerns. For now, the next few days will focus on complete rest.

This situation adds pressure on new Real Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa, who began his tenure with a 2-3 away defeat to 17th-place Segunda División side Albacete in the Copa del Rey, leading to elimination. The entire team is closely monitoring Mbappé's physical response to understand when he can truly return to match fitness, but this time the French forward is not planning another rushed comeback.

In the Super Cup final, Mbappé returned just 11 days after undergoing a knee MRI on December 31, ignoring advice from those around him and cutting the expected recovery time in half in hopes of helping then-manager Xabi Alonso navigate a tough period – though unsuccessfully. Although he did not aggravate the injury during his roughly 20 minutes on the pitch, even after a tough challenge from Frenkie de Jong, he later realized it might not have been the wisest decision. Now, he is unwilling to take further risks and prefers a day-by-day assessment of his condition, aiming for a gradual recovery.

From a seasonal planning perspective, Mbappé still has clear and ambitious goals. He hopes to win major trophies with Real Madrid and is also focused on the World Cup with the French national team. Therefore, he does not want to play the second half of the season "on one leg" due to insufficient recovery over the winter break. For this reason, his availability for next Tuesday's Champions League home match against Monaco remains in serious doubt.

In the Champions League league phase, Real Madrid currently sit 7th, holding a goal difference advantage over 9th-place Liverpool and still in control of direct qualification. Depending on this weekend's La Liga result against Levante, Arbeloa may once again inquire whether Mbappé is fit to face Monaco. Regardless, Real Madrid will aim to secure direct qualification for the Champions League knockout stages in their away match against Benfica on January 28.

Source: L'Équipe