Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso said on Saturday that he is unsure how long star forward Kylian Mbappe will be out after picking up an injury.
The France international was confirmed to have suffered a knee strain on Wednesday, an issue that is likely to rule him out for a minimum of three weeks.
“We’ll try to make it happen quickly, it depends a lot on how he feels, but we’ll try to get him back as quickly as possible,” Alonso told a news conference.
“When is as soon as possible? That’s the question. I don’t know.”
Alonso added that he is hopeful Mbappe can recover in time for the Spanish Super Cup, where Los Blancos are set to meet Atletico Madrid in the semi-final on January 8.
The 27-year-old remains Madrid’s leading scorer this season, having netted 29 times in 24 matches across all competitions.
Mbappe will miss Sunday’s La Liga fixture against Real Betis at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Real Madrid currently sit four points behind league leaders Barcelona, who face local rivals Espanyol on Saturday.
Alonso faced intense scrutiny in December due to Madrid’s uneven performances, and his position remains uncertain heading into the coming weeks.
A positive takeaway, however, has been the late-2025 resurgence of Brazilian attacker Rodrygo Goes, whom Alonso is eager to see maintain his momentum.
“He played some very good games at the end of the year… we need him, like everyone else,” said Alonso.
“To make up for Kylian’s absence we have different options, and Rodrygo is one of them.”
