Kylian Mbappé may have escaped a much more serious injury. What initially appeared to be a relatively minor knee problem quickly caused major concern after the first medical examinations, with Real Madrid even fearing a far more worrying outcome.
The French forward suffered the injury on Tuesday against Turkey, just a few minutes after scoring the only goal of France’s victory, their first win of the Zinedine Zidane era. Shortly after finding the net, Mbappé felt pain in his knee following a shot and immediately signalled to the bench that he needed to come off.
The first medical examinations revealed what was described as “a hyperextension of the posterior capsule of the knee.” At first, only medical specialists were able to properly interpret the diagnosis and assess how serious the problem could be.
Eventually, the first reassuring news arrived. Mbappé is expected to be sidelined for around 10 to 12 days, allowing Real Madrid supporters to breathe a major sigh of relief.
Major scare at Real Madrid
However, according to several reports in Spain on Tuesday, the situation initially caused real concern inside Real Madrid.
During the first examinations, the club reportedly feared that Mbappé’s injury might be serious enough to require surgery. Such a scenario would obviously have kept the French striker out for a much longer period and would have represented a major blow for José Mourinho’s team.
Medical experts have also explained that the situation could have become considerably worse had Mbappé continued playing after feeling the pain. Even a few additional minutes on the pitch could potentially have aggravated the injury.
🚨💣 BREAKING: Kylian Mbappé BARELY DODGED a SURGERY due to his injury with France.
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) September 29, 2026
Tests have shown that if he had continued playing against Turkey, he would have risked a VERY SERIOUS injury that could have threatened his ENTIRE SEASON. @diarioas pic.twitter.com/u1118jJHFa
That is why the striker’s decision to immediately ask to be substituted may have been crucial. Had Mbappé attempted to continue despite the discomfort, Real Madrid could have been dealing with a completely different situation.
Fortunately, further examinations carried out in Madrid eventually reassured everyone involved. No operation will be necessary and the injury is not believed to be as serious as initially feared.
Real Madrid, however, have no intention of taking unnecessary risks with their leading goalscorer.
Even though Mbappé’s estimated recovery period is only around ten days, there remains a possibility that he could miss the Liga match against Villarreal on October 10.
José Mourinho could decide to give his star forward additional recovery time rather than rushing him back into action. With a busy schedule ahead, Madrid’s priority is to ensure that Mbappé’s knee has completely healed before allowing him to return to competitive football.
The club knows just how important the Frenchman is to its attacking system and has little reason to gamble with his fitness at this stage of the season.
For now, the plan in Madrid is clear: patience.
Mbappé will be given all the time necessary to recover fully, even if that means missing one additional match. Once his knee is completely healed and the medical staff gives him the green light, the French international will be expected to return at full strength.
Considering the fears that surrounded the first examinations, Real Madrid can ultimately consider themselves fortunate. What briefly looked like a potentially serious knee injury should, in the end, keep Mbappé away from the pitch for only a short period of time.
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