French forward Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid will miss at least the first La Liga match of 2026 against Betis due to a knee injury. The injury was detected following a magnetic resonance examination, which the 'royal club' reported on Wednesday. According to Real Madrid's medical report, the attacking player has been diagnosed with a sprain in his right knee and is 'pending evolution.' It seems likely that Mbappé, who participated in an open training session on Tuesday without any apparent problems, will be unavailable for Sunday's match against Real Betis, a crucial game for Xabi Alonso's side, which is in second place, four points behind Barcelona. His participation in the Copa del Rey semi-final, which the Madrid team will play against Atlético on January 8 in Riyadh, is also in serious doubt. After the Copa del Rey, where he could also miss the final if Real Madrid advances past Atlético, the team faces Levante on the 17th and Monaco in the Champions League on the 20th. This leaves Real Madrid without its main attacking reference. He is the team's top scorer with 18 goals this season, which is half of the team's total goals.
