Real Madrid Preparing Mbappé for City Clash Ahead of Derby
French forward Kylian Mbappé returned to group training with Spain’s Real Madrid on Sunday after being sidelined since late February with a sprain in his left knee, just two days before the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash against England’s Manchester City.
Head coach Álvaro Arbeloa confirmed in a press conference on Saturday that Mbappé had rejoined full training, appearing in photos and videos released by the club and participating normally for the first time since missing the Champions League match against Portugal’s Benfica on February 25.
The club’s leading scorer — with 38 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions — could be included in the squad traveling to Manchester, though his place in the starting lineup is not guaranteed, particularly with Real Madrid holding a 3–0 advantage from the first leg.
According to Spanish media, Arbeloa may give the French striker limited minutes in preparation for next Sunday’s derby against Atlético Madrid in La Liga.
If he fully recovers from the injury, the captain of the French national team is also expected to join the upcoming international camp (March 23–30), during which Didier Deschamps’ side will play two friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States, less than three months before the 2026 World Cup.
