Alex KirklandMar 25, 2026, 05:17 PM ET
Kylian Mbappé denied reports that his knee injury was misdiagnosed after Real Madrid's medical team mistakenly examined the wrong knee as they sought to treat the problem.
A journalist for France's RMC Sport -- followed by a number of Spanish media outlets -- claimed on Tuesday that Madrid had failed to identify a partial ligament tear in his left knee in December, when they performed a scan on his healthy right knee instead.
Mbappé played three games with the team before he was eventually diagnosed with the injury, with Madrid releasing a medical report confirming a knee sprain on Dec. 31, followed by an update this month after he travelled to Paris to seek a second opinion, which saw him sidelined for over three weeks.
"The information that [Madrid] examined the wrong knee is not true," Mbappé said on Wednesday, on international duty with France as they prepare to play a friendly against Brazil. "Perhaps I bear some indirect responsibility for the situation, because when you don't communicate about what you have and what is going on, it leaves the door open to interpretation, and everyone is rushing to fill in the blanks.
"Now, with Real Madrid, we've always had a communication that was quite clear, whether it was when I started my rehabilitation in Madrid, or when I was in Paris, where I was accompanied by the doctor, a physiotherapist and the club's physical trainer, where we worked from Paris, so there is no problem with that.
"We're in an important moment in the season. The team has been playing well without me. When I got injured, I wasn't available and people thought I was the only solution, but it wasn't like that. The important thing is the team."
Mbappé first suffered the injury against Celta Vigo on Dec. 7, but went on to play three matches before the end of 2025 -- against Alavés, Talavera and Sevilla -- before the knee sprain was confirmed.
After missing all but a few minutes of the Spanish Supercopa, he then played a series of games in January and February, before Madrid said a meeting with French doctors had confirmed the course of "conservative treatment" they had chosen was the right one.
After a period of rest, he returned to the side as a substitute in last week's Champions League second leg with Manchester City, and then the weekend's derby with Atlético Madrid.
"I've never been someone -- not as a person nor as a player -- who lives with regrets," Mbappé said on Wednesday. "I focus on the present and the immediate future. Right now, I feel good, especially with both my knees, which is important to me. That's partly thanks to my club, who have taken good care of my fitness.
"I'm very happy to be here, available, and fully fit. I'm ready to play [against Brazil] and to start if needs be."
Earlier this week, Mbappé told Spanish outlet AS that "some false things have been said" about the knee injury that restricted his involvement for Real Madrid in recent weeks.
