Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid
9 October 2026
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has confirmed Kylian Mbappé will start against Villarreal after recovering from the knee injury sustained on international duty. Mourinho also rejected allegations that the forward had behaved improperly during his rehabilitation.
Mourinho said Mbappé followed the club’s recovery plan and obtained an assessment from an external medical specialist whose findings agreed with Real Madrid’s diagnosis. His confirmation resolves immediate uncertainty over the French forward’s availability.