Mbappe Injury Status Revealed as Real Madrid Prepare for Benfica Champions League Showdown

By: Shawn
‎Spanish giants Real Madrid have confirmed the physical condition of key attacker Kylian Mbappe ahead of their important meeting with Benfica in Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League playoff encounter. Both sides are competing for a place in the round of 16, with this tie coming only weeks after Benfica’s thrilling 4-2 victory during the group stage.
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‎Latest Real Madrid team news confirms Kylian Mbappe’s injury status, squad absences, and tactical outlook before the Champions League playoff battle with Benfica.
‎Getty Images Sport 
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‎Mbappe was listed among substitutes but did not play in Madrid’s weekend match. Previously, he scored both goals for his team during their loss in Lisbon, where Andreas Schjelderup scored twice around a penalty from Vangelis Pavlidis.
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‎The decisive moment in that game came when Benfica secured a last-minute free-kick and goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin scored with a header. That result, achieved by the side led by Jose Mourinho, secured their progression while forcing Madrid into the playoff route. 
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‎The teams will now renew their rivalry in Lisbon before the return fixture takes place in Spain.
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‎Madrid approach the match following a dominant 4-1 league win over Real Sociedad. Mbappe’s absence from the pitch during that victory led to speculation about his availability, despite his strong scoring season domestically and recent goal against Valencia.
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‎Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa later explained that Mbappe’s absence was a preventive decision due to ongoing minor discomfort. The coach emphasized the club did not want to risk worsening the issue ahead of the European clash. 
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‎Mbappe later trained with higher-intensity groups on Sunday. Meanwhile, players including Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde focused on recovery after featuring in the weekend win.
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‎Several squad members remain unavailable. Jude Bellingham continues recovering from a hamstring problem, while Eder Militao is also injured. Suspensions will keep Rodrygo and Raul Asencio out of the match.
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‎Looking back at the Sociedad match, Arbeloa praised his team’s balance between attack and defense. Gonzalo Garcia scored early before Mikel Oyarzabal leveled the score via penalty. Madrid quickly regained control when Vinicius restored the lead. Valverde then extended the advantage, and Vinicius added another goal early in the second half to seal victory.
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‎Arbeloa credited the team’s strong weekly preparation and highlighted the advantage of having a full training week compared to opponents playing midweek fixtures.
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‎The coach reserved special praise for Vinicius, saying the winger influences matches beyond statistics and contributes massively to the team’s overall performance.

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