2025 ends with bad news for Real Madrid, as the team's top goal scorer, Kylian Mbappé, was diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee on December 31. His progress will be monitored, the club said, without providing any more information about an estimated recovery time.
One day earlier, Mbappé trained as usual in an open-doors session, where fans saw their players train. After New Year's eve, the calendar is very tight. Real Madrid play against Betis on Sunday January 4, and then against Atlético de Madrid in the Super Cup semi-finals in Saudi Arabia. If they win, they could face Barcelona on Sunday January 11, before playing a Copa del Rey round of 16 fixture the following Wednesday or Thursday.
Further reading: Controversy with Spanish Cup draw as it gives top clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona unfair advantage
The month continues with Liga games on the weekends (Levante on January 17 and Villarreal on January 25) intertwined with Champions League games: Monaco on January 20 and Benfica on January 28. One match every three or four days the whole month.
How long will Kylian Mbappé be injured for Real Madrid?
So, how many games will Mbappé miss as a result of this injury? It is still early to know how his injury will evolve, but Mbappé will surely miss the match against Betis on Jan 4... and could miss the Spanish Super Cup. According to AS, Mbappé has been injured since last December 7, and if he doesn't rest, it could evolve into a much serious injury.
Other sources, however, are saying that for a full recovery, he would need three weeks, which means that, in a worst case sceneario, he could miss between five and six games in January.
It may depend on his recovery... and how much is he willing to risk if he wants to play against Atleti and maybe Barça this month.
Mbappé ended the calendar year scoring 59 goals for Real Madrid, matching a record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013, only in his first full year at the club. Despite the bad results as a team, Mbappé has shone and will continue to shine in 2026, but later than expected.