Kylian Mbappé risks injury in a bid to save Xabi Alonso’s job, to miss Levante and Monaco games

Before travelling to Saudi Arabia with the Real Madrid squad, Mbappé suffered the injury on the final day of 2025 and was initially expected to be sidelined for around three weeks. Nevertheless, he travelled with the team to Jeddah and was named on the bench, while his replacement Gonzalo García started and played the full 90 minutes.

In the final against Barcelona, Mbappé again began on the bench and was introduced in the 76th minute as Madrid pushed for an equaliser. The French forward was unable to change the outcome, with Barcelona going on to win 3-2. Just one day later, Xabi Alonso was dismissed as head coach and replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa.

According to L’Équipe, Mbappé insisted on playing in the final in an attempt to “save” Xabi Alonso’s job. He reportedly refused an injection, despite medical warnings that doing so could put his recovery at risk.

Mbappé had a strong relationship with Alonso, with the Spanish coach building the attack around him. The France captain had repaid that trust with 29 goals so far in the 2025/26 season.

He was also the first player to publicly bid farewell to Alonso after his dismissal. On Instagram, Mbappé wrote: “It was short but a real pleasure to play for you and learn alongside you. Thank you for trusting me from day one. I will remember you as a visionary coach and a true connoisseur of football. Good luck for the future.”

In Mbappé’s absence, Real Madrid are expected to continue with Gonzalo García, who has scored five goals and got one assist in his last four matches. Mbappé’s exact return date remains unclear, but he is set to miss at least the Levante and Monaco games.

After losing 3-2 to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final, Real Madrid, now under new head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, suffered another 3-2 defeat against second-division Albacete and were eliminated from the Copa del Rey. Their upcoming fixtures include Levante (17 January), Monaco (21 January), Villarreal (25 January) and Benfica (29 January).