Xabi Alonso on Kylian Mbappe Injury

Xabi Alonso Gives BIG UPDATE on Kylian Mbappe Injury Ahead of Spanish Super Cup Semifinal

Swastik Debnath

Published - Jan 02, 2026, 12:00 PM

4 min

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Summary

Xabi Alonso confirmed Kylian Mbappe picked up a minor knock in training, but reassured fans that the injury is not serious and will be assessed on a day-to-day basis.
Mbappé’s availability against Real Betis remains uncertain, with Real Madrid unwilling to take risks due to their congested schedule and long injury list.
Despite the concern, Alonso expressed confidence in squad depth, stating the team is prepared to cope even if Mbappé is rested for the La Liga clash.

In the La Liga matchday, Real Madrid are set to welcome Real Betis on Sunday, January 4th, 2026. The clash will take place at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real Madrid have already been suffering from a huge injury list and now another name has been added to it - one of the best strikers Kylian Mbappe, who has picked up a knock during a training session. La Liga is back in action after a long break, and during this break, Kylian Mbappe has shown up in the AFCON matches and also cheered up his best mate from PSG days, who is one of the best right-backs Achraf Hakimi, and his national football team.

Throughout the 2025–26 season, Mbappe has been in outstanding form, recording five assists and 29 goals in 24 games across all competitions. This season, the 27-year-old has scored 18 goals in 18 La Liga games and nine goals in five Champions League games. After the Real Madrid injury list, the new Kylian Mbappe injury has raised the heat for the Madridistas and Real Madrid's Spanish tactician, Xabi Alonso.

Now if you are among those fans who have been searching for Xabi Alonso's reaction to Kylian Mbappe injury, then you are in the right place, as Sportdunia will give you all the details.

Xabi Alonso on Kylian Mbappe Injury

If you are searching for Kylian Mbappe's availability for the Real Betis match ahead, then we've got bad news for you, as he will be unavailable for this. He will also be out for Real Madrid's intense fixture against Atletico Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. Kylian Mbappe will likely miss some time due to a knee injury sustained during a training session, according to Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso and Real Madrid's official statement confirmed Kylian Mbappe injury and his unavailability.

Following the Frenchman's injury, both the team manager and the club released their statements. Here's what they have to say about his injury.

Xabi Alonso's Reaction to Kylian Mbapp's injury.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,”

Real Madrid has also released an official statement. Let's take a look

“Following tests carried out today on our player Kylian Mbappe by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee. His recovery will be monitored,"

What is the Return Date of Kylian Mbappe

Mbappe might miss four or five games, including Sunday's La Liga match against Real Betis at Bernabeu, but a period of rest is anticipated to fix the problem. After that, Real Madrid will travel to Saudi Arabia to play in the Spanish Super Cup. They will play Atletico Madrid in the semifinals before possibly playing Barcelona or Athletic Bilbao in the final.

Mbappe might also miss the Champions League match against Monaco on January 20 and the La Liga match against Levante on January 17 before making his comeback against Villarreal in Spain's top division La Liga on January 25. Since joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, the forward has only missed five games due to illness or injury. He has made 83 appearances for the Spanish powerhouses, tallying 10 assists and 73 goals.

Who will Replace Kylian Mbappe?

Gonzalo Garcia is the only other pure centre-forward in the first team, so Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso must make a significant choice regarding Mbappe's replacement. Garcia has had a difficult season, though, as he hasn't scored in 17 games across all competitions.

Alonso can also change his lineup so that Jude Bellingham is positioned at number ten and Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior form a front two. With Rodrygo and Vinicius in the wide areas, Bellingham might also be utilised as a false nine in a 4-3-3 formation. It will be interesting to watch Alonso's choice for the forthcoming games.