For several days, the insincerity trial has been in full swing. Kylian Mbappé’s package for the trip to Azerbaijan, followed by his much-discussed getaway to Dubai, fueled the most controversial theories. A “diplomatic injury”, some said, an unjustified privilege, others shouted. The captain of the Blues was accused of having feigned discomfort to afford an early vacation away from international chores. But this Wednesday morning, a concrete fact came to sweep away a good part of these hazardous speculations.
The controversy over Mbappé’s “injury” falls apart
This event takes place at Valdebebas, Real Madrid’s training center. While the recovery was in full swing, Kylian Mbappé was not on the pitch with his teammates. He was not in the treatment room either. He was simply absent. This non-participation in the collective session on Wednesday confirms what Didier Deschamps insisted: the French striker was not physically capable of carrying out high-intensity efforts immediately. His body needed a break, and this absence from Madrid proves that the Merengue staff shares the diagnosis of the French staff.
If the inflammation in the right ankle is real, it is not alarming. Inside the White House, we are not giving in to panic. This precise management aims precisely to avoid major injuries. The trip to the Emirates, although awkward in terms of image for the general public, did not worsen his physical situation. Today’s absence validates the thesis of a necessary precaution, far from the star’s whim that many wanted to portray. Eduardo Camavinga, also missing in Baku, also followed the same regime by missing the call this morning.
Holder on Sunday, the real answer?
Now the land will regain its rights. If the player was spared this Wednesday, it was for a specific reason: the La Liga match against Elche. Real’s medical staff expect to see him return to training by Friday. The objective is clear: for him to start on Sunday evening for the 13th day. This à la carte management, where we skip a replay training to ensure a presence in a match, has become the norm for players subjected to infernal pace.
This sequence will ultimately prove Didier Deschamps right, who claimed not to have “no risk to take”. Criticisms about the captain’s exemplary nature will perhaps remain, fueled by vacation photos, but on a strictly medical level, the case is closed. Mbappé did not lie about his embarrassment, and Real Madrid, which does not give gifts when it comes to performance, has just demonstrated it with facts. The controversy can die down again, until the next one.
