Mbappe RETURNS to Real Madrid Training Amid CRUCIAL Clash vs Levante!
Kylian Mbappe is back in Madrid training after injury as Real Madrid prepares for Levante. Key players return, but injuries mount. Will they bounce back?
After a 3-2 loss to Albacete in the Copa del Rey last 16, marking Alvaro Arbeloa's debut as head coach, training resumed with Kylian Mbappe returning to the squad. Alongside him, Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham also rejoined the group session.
Mbappe is still on the mend from a left knee sprain that sidelined him for Real Madrid's opening two league games of 2026 and the recent Copa clash. His only minutes on the pitch so far came during the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday, where he played just 15 minutes in yet another disappointing loss for the team.
Tchouameni and Bellingham, rested during midweek to manage their workload, were part of the training as well. Meanwhile, Rodrygo Goes and Antonio Rudiger worked separately due to knee discomfort but are expected to rejoin the main squad by Friday, potentially making them available for Saturday’s league fixture against Levante at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Arbeloa faces a number of absences ahead of the Levante match. Ferland Mendy is out with muscular issues, Trent Alexander-Arnold continues his recovery from a left quadriceps injury, and Eder Militao remains sidelined nursing a left femoral biceps tear.
Morocco's Africa Cup of Nations run also means Brahim Diaz isn’t available, having advanced to the final after a penalty shootout win over Nigeria on Wednesday.
Despite these setbacks, Arbeloa is focused on readying the team for an important league test. Real Madrid are under pressure to bounce back following a tough week marked by their Super Cup defeat, the departure of Xabi Alonso, Arbeloa's appointment, and an early exit from the Copa del Rey.
