Mbappé Sidelined: MRI Mix-Up At Real Madrid Leads To Misdiagnosed Knee Injury

According to Ireporter Online, French forward Kylian Mbappe was mistakenly cleared to play while injured after Real Madrid doctors scanned the wrong knee during a medical assessment in December 2025. The club’s medical team reportedly examined his right knee instead of the injured left, which showed no damage and allowed the forward to participate in three matches despite visible swelling.

The error was discovered only when further tests were conducted on the correct leg, revealing a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament. Despite this, Real Madrid issued an update on 31 December, describing the issue as a “knee sprain” and recommending a cautious recovery plan.

Mbappe initially experienced discomfort following a heavy collision during a 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo on 7 December. He missed the subsequent match against Manchester City but returned to play full 90-minute matches in the following three games. Concerns increased after the Christmas break when the France international was seen holding his left knee during training on 30 December, prompting him to miss the Spanish Super Cup semi-final trip to Saudi Arabia against Atletico Madrid.

He returned briefly as a substitute for the final 14 minutes in a 3-2 defeat to Barcelona on 11 January under interim coach Xabi Alonso, who was later dismissed. Under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, Mbappe played in eight of the next ten matches, scoring nine goals, with his last appearance recorded on 21 February.

However, the injury persisted, causing him to miss five consecutive matches starting with the 2 March fixture against Getafe. Mbappe has since returned to Paris for further testing and specialist treatment as concerns over his knee continue.