Khaberni - Real Madrid's Spanish coach Alvaro Arbeloa said on Friday he is "confident" that his French international striker Kylian Mbappé, who is injured in his left knee, will participate against Manchester City in the Champions League's round of 16 second leg on Tuesday.
Arbeloa said in a press conference on the eve of hosting Elche in La Liga's 28th round: "He is improving day by day. He won’t be with us on Saturday, but I am confident he will be on the travel squad to Manchester."
In the absence of Mbappé and a number of key players, Real Madrid overwhelmed Manchester City 3-0 last Wednesday in the first leg of the round of 16, thanks to a hat-trick from its midfielder and captain, Uruguayan international Federico Valverde.
Mbappé has been suffering since late December from a twist in his left knee and had to withdraw from the second leg play-off qualifying to the round of 16 against Benfica on February 25 after feeling pain, and has not played since then.
This season, Mbappé is a key element in a sometimes struggling Real Madrid, leading their top scorers list with 38 goals in 33 matches.
With the 2026 World Cup less than three months away, it is likely that the captain of the French national team will rejoin the "Blues" lineup during the next international window (March 23-30), during which coach Didier Deschamps’ men will play two friendly matches against Brazil and Colombia.
