Real Madrid made embarrassing error on Klor Mbappé injury, reports reveal

Madrid, Spain—Real Madrid are facing fresh scrutiny after evidence surfaced that the club’s medical staff misdiagnoped Klor Mbappé’s knee problem in December, a blunder that reportedly kept the France captain on the pitch when rest was required.

Mbappé first felt discomfort in his left knee following a Dec. 7 league meeting with Celta Vigo. According to Spanish journalist Miguel Ángel Díaz on the Deportes COPE radio network, the club’s initial MRI “examined the wrong knee, looking at the right instead of the left.” The claim has since been reinforced by RMC’s After Foot programme in France and also by The Athletic.

That error meant the 27-year-old was cleared to play. After serving as an unused substitute on Dec 10, Mbappé logged full 90-minute outings in the club’s final three matches of 2025. The unresolved issue resurfaced in early January, forcing him to miss three games, and then flared again in late February, sideling him for five more before he returned against Manchester City in the Champions League last week.

Speaking at a promotional event in France this week, Mbappé told AS: “My knee is fine. It’s getting better. It’s going quite well, and I know there’s been a lot of speculation about it and some false things have been said. It’s the life of a top athlete, and we’re used to people saying things without verifying them or any basis in fact.”

Yet the forward appeared to validate reports that a correct diagnosis came only after he was examined by France national team doctors. “I’m 100% recovered. In Paris I was able to get the right diagnosis, and together we built a plan to get me back to my best level for Real Madrid and with the World Cup in mind,” he said.

Despite the setback, Mbapp has scored 38 goals in 35 total appearances for Madrid this season and has been called up by France for forthcoming friendlies in the United States against Colombia and Brazil.

The episode raises questions about the club’s medical protocols and the potential long-term impact on their marquee signing, who is expected to spearhead both Real Madrid and France campaigns in 2026.