Kylian Mbappe has said he is not above criticism at Real Madrid while dismissing concerns that his attention may already be shifting toward the World Cup with France.
The forward has had limited playing time since December due to a recurring knee problem and missed five matches earlier this month because of the injury.
He returned to action for Madrid before the international break and featured for France in their 2-1 friendly victory over Brazil, where he scored the opening goal for Les Bleus.
Despite being sidelined for 10 games since last summer’s Club World Cup, Mbappe remains Madrid’s leading scorer across all competitions, with 38 goals in 35 appearances and an average of one goal every 76 minutes.
Real Madrid will resume LaLiga action away to Mallorca on April 4, currently trailing leaders Barcelona by four points. They are also preparing for a Champions League quarter-final clash against Bayern Munich.
Mbappe emphasised that his full attention is on helping Madrid secure trophies this season.
“In Spain, they’re a little worried about that, that I won’t play, and that I’ll go straight to the World Cup,” Mbappe told Telefoot ahead of France’s friendly with Colombia.
“The best way to prepare is to win everything with Madrid beforehand.
“Real Madrid is like a religion for people in Spain; they are very passionate, and there is a lot of talk and speculation, sometimes justified, but sometimes not.
“You have to know how to deal with criticism because everyone at Real Madrid has been criticised. [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Alfredo] Di Stefano, so I don’t see why I should be an exception.
“You simply have to stay calm, concentrate on what you have to do, and tell yourself how you can improve your performance on the pitch.”
Madrid and Bayern Munich have met 22 times in the Champions League, with the Spanish side winning 11 of those encounters (D3 L8) and remaining unbeaten in their last nine meetings (W7 D2).
Mbappe has scored three goals in seven previous matches against Bayern— all during his time at Paris Saint-Germain — and is looking forward to the upcoming encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu on April 7.
“We have to play against Bayern, who I think are the most in-form team in Europe right now, but if there’s anyone who can beat that kind of team, it’s Real Madrid,” he added.
“For me, what’s coming up is extremely important, because we’re very involved in the Champions League and also in LaLiga.”
