Real Madrid breathe huge sigh of relief as Kylian Mbappe escapes knee surgery after international duty

According to AS, Mbappe has begun his recovery at Valdebebas after suffering a hyperextension of the posterior capsule in his left knee. The French attacker stopped playing upon feeling pain after scoring his goal against Turkey last Friday, a decision that prevented a much more serious injury.

Real Madrid were in constant contact with the French Football Federation and initially feared that surgery would be required. However, tests confirmed that the forward will only face a spell of 10 to 12 days on the sidelines, allowing the club to breathe a sigh of relief.

Mbappe started his rehabilitation on Monday and continued his work today. In theory, the forward should be available for the return to La Liga action against Villarreal on October 10 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Real Madrid have to consider the risks of rushing him back too soon. Manager Jose Mourinho is currently mulling over whether to rest him for that fixture. The club face two massive away games shortly after, taking on Roma on October 14 before travelling to Camp Nou for El Clasico on October 25.

With their star player recovering, the technical staff have up to four different solutions to reshuffle the attack. Mourinho could simply maintain the current system and deploy Espi in place of Mbappe. However, the Portuguese coach views the Under-21 international as more of a traditional striker to break down stubborn defences. Another primary alternative is using Jude Bellingham as a false nine, a role he played under Carlo Ancelotti. This setup would allow Arda Guler to play behind Bellingham, coexisting with Diomande on the right wing.

Real Madrid have made it clear they do not want Mbappe playing with any discomfort. They will wait until he is at 100% before he returns to the pitch. Mourinho will test his alternative tactical setups in the coming days to prepare for Villarreal.