French forward, Kylian Mbappe was mistakenly cleared to play through injury after Real Madrid doctors scanned the wrong knee during a medical check in December 2025.

Reports from The Athletic claim the club’s medical team examined his right knee instead of the injured left. The scan showed no damage, allowing the forward to feature in three matches despite visible swelling.

The issue only came to light later when further checks were carried out on the correct leg. An X-ray revealed a partial tear of the posterior cruciate ligament.

Despite that, Real Madrid issued a general update on 31 December, describing the problem as a “knee sprain” and advising a cautious recovery plan.

Mbappe first felt discomfort after a 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo on 7 December following a heavy collision. He sat out the clash with Manchester City three days later but returned to complete 90 minutes in each of the club’s final three games of the year.

Concerns deepened after the Christmas break. During a training session on 30 December, the France international was seen repeatedly holding his left knee while in discussion with club medics.

He was subsequently ruled out of the trip to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

Mbappe was only fit enough for a late cameo in the final against Barcelona on 11 January, coming on for the final 14 minutes of a 3-2 defeat. The result proved costly, with Xabi Alonso losing his job soon after.

Under new boss Alvaro Arbeloa, Mbappe returned to action and featured in eight of the next 10 matches, scoring nine goals. His last appearance came on 21 February.

The problem, however, was never fully settled. He missed the 2 March fixture against Getafe, the first of five straight absences.

Mbappe has since travelled back to Paris for further tests and specialist treatment as concerns linger over his knee.