Mbappé and Carvajal are out for Real Madrid's Sunday match against Betis
Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé will miss the LaLiga EA Sports match against Real Betis (Sunday) due to a sprained left knee.
The French striker has not been ruled out for the Spanish Super Cup, which begins the following week.
Real Madrid released a statement: “Following tests carried out on our player Kylian Mbappé by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee. His recovery will be monitored.”
Real Madrid will also be unable to count on their captain, Dani Carvajal, for their return to action in 2026, with the veteran right-back not quite recovering in time to face Real Betis this weekend. The 33-year-old has missed the majority of the season with a knee injury.
Carvajal went down at the start of November after twisting his knee and underwent surgery to correct the issue. Ruled out initially for two months, it was hoped that he would recover by the beginning of 2026, and there was even a suggestion he could be back in the squad for their final game of 2025 against Sevilla.
Despite that, Carvajal will not feature against Real Betis on Sunday, as per Diario AS. The veteran is not taking any risks, and instead is hoping to be back in shape for their Spanish Supercup semi-final against Atletico Madrid next week. Los Blancos take on their city rivals next Thursday in Saudi Arabia, and would face one of Athletic Club or Barcelona in a potential final. It does mean that Fede Valverde will likely reprise his role at right-back against Betis, and potentially in Saudi Arabia, depending on how much action Carvajal is deemed to be ready for.
There is more positive news elsewhere, with David Alaba, Ferland Mendy, Eduardo Camavinga and Valverde all set to be fit after the break, after dealing with muscle issues.
Mbappe joins Eder Militao and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the sidelines, who are not expected to be back before March and February, respectively. Defensive injuries have been a sore point for Alonso this season, and any path to success likely requires a run of fitness from their defensive starters.
