Mbappé Injury Clouds Real Madrid’s 3–1 Win Over Villarreal
Real Madrid’s 3–1 victory over Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu came at a cost, as Kylian Mbappé suffered a reported ankle injury late in the match.
The French star, making his 12th consecutive start for club and country this season, had once again been decisive — scoring a goal and providing an assist in Los Blancos’ final outing before the October international break. However, the mood shifted dramatically when Mbappé went down in visible pain during the closing stages.
Medical staff quickly attended to the 26-year-old forward, who was able to walk off unaided but headed straight down the tunnel with seven minutes remaining. ESPN later reported that Mbappé sustained a mild sprain to his right ankle, prompting head coach Xabi Alonso to replace him with Rodrygo in the 83rd minute.
After the match, Alonso offered a brief update on his star player’s condition:
“Mbappé? He’s experiencing some slight discomfort,” Alonso said. “We’ll see how his condition progresses.”
Mbappé has been in scintillating form during the early stages of the 2025–26 campaign, scoring 14 goals across all competitions and finding the net in nine consecutive matches for club and country. His relentless workload — featuring at least 81 minutes in each of his 12 appearances — has raised concerns about fatigue.
While the upcoming international break could provide a chance for recovery, Mbappé is still expected to join France for their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland. Whether his ankle issue will rule him out of national team duty remains to be seen.
