Kylian Mbappe injury latest: Will Real Madrid forward return before the end of the season?

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa is unsure whether Kylian Mbappe will feature before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.

Mbappe had seemingly been in line to return from a hamstring injury in Sunday night's La Liga clash with Barcelona, but he ruled himself out of the contest due to discomfort in the latter stages of his side's final training session ahead of El Clasico.

According to Marca, Real Madrid's staff had been expecting Mbappe to feature against Barcelona, and his withdrawal came as a surprise.

Los Blancos have three more league matches this season, facing Real Oviedo on May 14, Sevilla on May 17 and Athletic Bilbao on May 24.

However, Real Madrid are now only playing for pride late in the campaign, with Barcelona being confirmed as La Liga champions on Sunday night courtesy of their 2-0 success.

Mbappe missed El Clasico due to a hamstring issue

There have been suggestions that Mbappe could rule himself out of the final stages of the 2025-26 campaign in order to ensure that he is fully-fit to represent France at the 2026 World Cup.

“I don’t know. Two weeks remain, and depending on how he evolves from the discomfort he currently has, we’ll see if he can play or not," Arbeloa told reporters when asked whether Mbappe would be back on the field before the end of the season.

When asked whether he would have wanted Mbappe to at least travel to Camp Nou, Arbeloa said: “I would have liked him to be 100% and able to play from the start. That’s what I really would have liked.”

Could Mbappe leave Real Madrid this summer?

Mbappe has had another excellent season from a personal point of view, scoring 41 times and registering six assists in 41 appearances in all competitions.

However, it is understood that his relationship with a number of his teammates is fractured, and there has been talk surrounding a possible exit this summer.

Real Madrid have not been able to truly click as a team since Mbappe's arrival, with Vinicius Junior's overall performance level suffering, while there have also been suggestions that Jude Bellingham finds it difficult to show his best form when the Frenchman is in the side.

However, it is incredibly unlikely that Mbappe will leave Bernabeu this summer due to the cost of a deal, with only three or four European clubs in a financial position to pull off such a transfer.

Real Madrid's next head coach, potentially Jose Mourinho, has a big job on his hands to repair the dressing room at Bernabeu.