Real Madrid have confirmed Kylian Mbappe has suffered a thigh muscle injury after being taken off in the club's 3-2 win over Alaves on Tuesday - with the forward set to miss around three weeks of action.
Mbappe has been a sensation for Madrid since completing his free transfer from PSG this summer, scoring seven times in nine games so far and his absence will be a huge blow for his manager Carlo Ancelotti, who will now be without the Frenchman for this weekend's crunch derby clash against rivals Atletico.
The 25-year-old scored Madrid's second goal of the game against Alaves before being taken off in the 80th minute - with Ancelotti claiming the player requested to be subbed.
"He’s OK," he said. "He’s a little sore. He asked for the substitution to avoid problems. He is already very well and so are we."
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Now Real Madrid have confirmed Mbappe's injury blow, saying the player would continue to be monitored as he begins his recovery.
"Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid's Medical Services on our player Kylian Mbappe, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the biceps femoris in his left leg," the statement said. "His progress will be monitored."
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano later claimed Mbappe could be out for the next three weeks, which would rule him out of the club's next three games before the international break.
Madrid face a trip to Lille in the Champions League before a home clash against Villarreal - in addition to the trip to Atletico on Sunday.
The club had been hoping the issue was only mild discomfort in the thigh but his absence from the Atletico game will be a huge blow given his importance to the team.
After a slow start that saw him fail to net in his first three La Liga games, Mbappe now has four goals in as many matches.
Madrid do have a huge wealth of attacking options in Mbappe's absence, with the likes of Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Joselu all ready to step up and deliver until he returns next month.
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