Kylian Mbappé has fully recovered from his injury and is set to play for Real Madrid against Lille in the Champions League, as confirmed by Carlo Ancelotti, who stated, “If there’s no risk, he’ll start from the first minute.”
Mbappé sustained a thigh injury during Madrid’s 3-2 LaLiga victory over Alavés on September 24, and it was initially expected that he would be sidelined for about three weeks. However, he traveled with the team to Lille on Tuesday, and Ancelotti later confirmed his readiness for selection.
“Yes, he’s recovered quickly and well,” Ancelotti said. “He only trained alone yesterday, but since he’s been out for a short time, he hasn’t lost his fitness. We will train now, and after he trains with us, we’ll assess and make the right decision. We don’t want to take any risks.”
Mbappé has netted seven goals for Madrid this season across all competitions and missed only one match, the recent 1-1 draw against Atlético Madrid.
“He had a strain,” Ancelotti explained. “With new technology, they classify it as grade one or grade two… In less than a week, he’s made a good recovery. He wanted to travel and play. If he feels 100% fit, he could play. If there’s no risk, he’ll be in the starting lineup.”
The Madrid derby was halted in the second half when the referee suspended the match due to objects being thrown by Atlético fans.
Ancelotti chose not to respond to criticisms from Atlético coach Diego Simeone and captain Koke regarding Thibaut Courtois, who they claimed provoked the incident with his celebration of Éder Militão’s goal. “I respect everyone’s opinion,” Ancelotti said. “But the issue is clear. Violent actions have no place in football or society. Everyone witnessed what occurred.”
Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni also condemned the fans’ actions, stating, “This isn’t good for the image of football. People, including kids, want to enjoy the spectacle. We need to address this issue.”
Madrid won their opening Champions League match against Stuttgart 3-1 at the Bernabéu, while Lille, currently fifth in Ligue 1, lost 2-0 to Sporting CP.
