Kylian Mbappe entourage address criticism of Real Madrid superstar amid reports of 'fractured' dressing room

Kylian Mbappe's entourage have released a statement addressing the recent criticism surrounding the Real Madrid attacker.

The France international has had another successful campaign from a personal point of view, finding the back of the net on 41 occasions in 41 appearances, following on from the 44 goals that he managed in 59 appearances during the 2024-25 campaign.

Mbappe's integration into the team remains a major talking point, though, with the attacker's relationship with a number of other senior players said to be strained.

The 27-year-old has faced criticism for his recent trip to Sardinia in the middle of his recovery process from a hamstring injury.

Mbappe landed in Madrid just minutes before his teammates took to the field against Espanyol on Sunday night, and there are widespread reports of a fractured dressing room at Bernabeu.

Mbappe's recent trip to Sardinia has led to criticism of Real Madrid forward

"Some of the criticism is based on an over-interpretation of elements related to a recovery period strictly supervised by the club, which does not correspond to the reality of Kylian's commitment and work on a daily basis for the team," Mbappe's entourage said in a statement to AFP.

The forward does have a chance of returning to action against Barcelona in La Liga this weekend, although a decision is yet to be made and is unlikely until the end of the week.

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa insisted that he had no issues with Mbappe's recent trip when questioned after the clash with Espanyol.

“All the injury management planning is supervised and handled by the Real Madrid Medical Services, who decide when players need to go to Valdebebas and when they don’t. Each player, in their free time, does what they see fit, and I cannot intervene in that," Arbeloa told reporters.

Mbappe is fighting to overcome a hamstring injury in time for El Clasico

“I don’t doubt the commitment of any of my players. I believe they all understand how important these matches are for us. When you defend the Real Madrid jersey and when you are part of this club, you understand the demands of this institution.

"We are a club where, fortunately, there has never been, is not, and will never be a player bigger than Real Madrid. I think all my players understand this perfectly. What it represents, where they are, how important it is, and how lucky we all are to be here.”

Mbappe is facing a second successive season without a major trophy, with Real Madrid 11 points clear of second-placed Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table with just four games left.

Real Madrid need to win El Clasico on Sunday to keep the title race alive for another gameweek, but it is incredibly difficult to imagine Barcelona passing up the title from this position.