An injury that could have been avoided: Kylian Mbappé has been struggling with problems in his left knee and will be unavailable to play with Real Madrid for at least three weeks. However, sports journalist Alfredo Relaño has harshly criticized the Frenchman's handling of his injury, claiming that Cristiano Ronaldo's record clouded his judgment. Mbappé criticized for not pacing himself Criticism of how 'Kiki' failed to properly manage his physical problems at such a critical point in the season with Los Merengues has left much to be discussed. While some highlight that the reason for his constant playing was his passion and love for the sport, others mention that it was his ambition to break individual records. One of those who joined in this controversy was Relaño who, on the program 'El Partidazo de COPE', analyzed Mbappé's excessive workload: "The point is that he has taken a risk," he said. "I think that pursuit of the silly record of 59 goals, I think that was in a year for Cristiano, when in fact Messi once scored 92, I want to remember, because I think they overloaded him with too much activity and it's not that it's not fair, it's that I think it's necessary and of course we all have confidence in Gonzalo," he added. On December 20, 2025, Mbappé equaled Cristiano's all-time record after scoring a penalty against Sevilla (2-0). However, the French player is currently sidelined, and coach Álvaro Arbeloa has confirmed that his recovery will not be a matter of days. His absence is a major blow to Real Madrid at a decisive moment in the 2025-2026 season. He has scored 38 goals in 33 games, accounting for almost half of the team's total goals, something the team will have to address if it wants to continue dominating offensively. Names such as Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo, and Gonzalo García are being mentioned to readjust the attack. Kylian missed the Champions League playoff return leg against Benfica and is a serious doubt for the round of 16 first leg against Manchester City. In addition, he is confirmed to miss the LaLiga match against GetafeRodrygo and young Gonzalo García (Monday, March 2) and is very likely to miss the matches against Celta de Vigo and Elche. Meanwhile, this measure seeks to prevent the player from undergoing surgery, which would not only affect his career at Real Madrid, but also with the French national team and his presence at the next World Cup in 2026.
