Real Madrid will do everything possible to help Kylian Mbappé recover from his knee injury in time for the Spanish Super Cup, manager Xabi Alonso has confirmed.
Mbappé has been battling a knee injury for several weeks and was formally diagnosed with ligament damage towards the end of December, with a recovery timeline of three weeks putting his involvement in the Super Cup in serious doubt.
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After Sunday’s meeting with Real Betis, Madrid travel to Saudi Arabia for the tournament and will face Atlético Madrid in the semifinals on Jan. 8. Even a potential final appearance against either Barcelona or Athletic Club three days later would appear to come too soon for Mbappé.
Alonso, however, is not giving up hope just yet.
“We’ll keep pushing the timeline,” Alonso pledged. “It’s largely about how he feels, and we’re going to do everything possible to get him back as soon as possible. When will that be? That’s the question. I don’t know.
“I’ll give you a clearer answer at the next prematch press conference.”
Given Mbappé’s recent history with his knee—he sat out last month’s 2–1 defeat to Manchester City—Alonso rejected suggestions the Frenchman’s fitness had been poorly managed.
“No,” he hit back. “After each match, we assess the player’s performance, observe how he feels and then make decisions based on the match and the team’s needs. We’ll see how he progresses now, and we’ll do everything we can to get him back as soon as possible.”
Alonso begins 2026 in the same way he started his tenure as Madrid manager. When he joined during the summer, he was immediately made to cope without Mbappé, who was struck down by illness during the Club World Cup.
The emergence of Gonzalo García helped Madrid in Mbappé’s absence and Alonso admitted he may take inspiration from his setup during the summer once again.
“It was a bit flexible; it’s not that we changed that much, but with the players we had … Now we have a few more players, others who aren’t here, and we have to find the best way to fit the pieces together,” Alonso explained.
“We did perform well. Kylian wasn’t there, but we’ll definitely miss him later because his performance is impressive. Not just because of the goals, but because of his influence. But we have to live with injuries; they’re never welcome.
“I have a lot of faith in those who will start tomorrow and those who will start on Thursday against Atlético. This is a squad, and unity, mutual trust, solidity and team spirit are fundamental.”
