Xabi Alonso has admitted he «doesn’t know» when Kylian Mbappé will return for Real Madrid, saying the club are working to have the star forward back from injury «as soon as possible.»
Madrid confirmed on Wednesday that Mbappé had been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee, with sources telling ESPN that the France international would miss Sunday’s LaLiga game with Real Betis, and was a major doubt to take part in next week’s Spanish Supercopa in Saudi Arabia.
Mbappé has scored 29 goals in all competitions for Madrid so far this season, but has been troubled by discomfort in recent weeks, missing the Champions League match with Manchester City in December, before returning to play the team’s last three games of 2025.
«We’re going to push to keep the time down,» Alonso said in a news conference on Saturday ahead of the Betis match.
«It’s about feelings. We’ll do everything possible to make [his absence] as short as possible, so he can be ready as soon as possible. But when is that? That’s the question, I don’t know.»
Mbappé had featured in all 18 of Madrid’s LaLiga games this season going into the Betis game, scoring 18 times. In his last match of 2025, he matched Cristiano Ronaldo‘s club record of 59 goals in a calendar year, netting in Madrid’s 2-0 win over Sevilla.
Real will play Atlético Madrid in their Supercopa semifinal in Jeddah next Thursday, before a possible final next Sunday.
«In every game we make an assessment, based on how the player feels, and we take decisions based on the necessities of the game,» Alonso said. «Now we’ll see. We’ll do everything we can to have him back as soon as possible.»
Alonso denied that it was difficult to tell a player like Mbappé that they needed to rest.
«No, managing players who always want to help the team is easy, managing players who are ambitious and always want to win is easy,» he said. «After that it’s my job to take decisions, I accept that.»
Madrid coped well without Mbappé for much of last summer’s Club World Cup, with young forward Gonzalo García, 21, filling in.
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«It was flexible, with the players we had,» Alonso said on Saturday. «We have to look for the best way of fitting together the pieces … We’ll miss [Mbappé] for sure, not just his goals, but the influence he has.»
Alonso said that Madrid would be «attentive» to the January transfer market, as they look to improve on an inconsistent first half of the season.
«It’s our obligation to always be attentive as to how we can improve,, if possibilities arise,» Alonso said. «But we’re happy with the squad.»
