Real Madrid coach confirms Kylian Mbappe will miss significant time with a knee issue, ending his run of playing through pain for the club

REAL Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa has confirmed star striker Kylian Mbappe will not make a quick return from a knee injury.

The 27-year-old France captain, who has been playing through pain for months, is expected to miss at least 10 days of recovery.

“It was a bit of a consensus between everyone (Mbappe, the coach and the doctors), and we think the best thing is that he stops, that he recovers and comes back at 100%,” Arbeloa told Movistar.

He added that the absence would be longer than a matter of days, though he could not specify an exact timeline.

Sources told AFP that Real’s top scorer withdrew from the squad for the Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica after feeling “pain that was too persistent” in training.

The decision was made to ensure Mbappe returns at full fitness rather than risk further aggravation.

 The Sun Malaysia