Stir in Madrid! Another Real Madrid star is said to have been examined on the wrong foot – Kylian Mbappé denies sensational reports about his knee

L'Equipe reports that Camavinga’s absence from several matches in December 2025 due to an ankle injury was down to a diagnostic error by Real Madrid. The club’s medical staff at the time X-rayed the wrong foot of the defensive midfielder.

Camavinga injured his left ankle on 3 December during the 3-0 away win against Athletic Club. Although he scored a goal, he had to be substituted after 69 minutes and complained of pain. An MRI scan was therefore carried out – but on his right foot. As no injury was detected there, the doctors declared Camavinga fit to play.

The 23-year-old was consequently included in the squad for the match against Celta on 7 December, but did not feature. However, he missed the subsequent matches against Alavés (LaLiga), Manchester City (Champions League) and Talavera (Copa del Rey) due to ankle problems. He was only able to play again on 20 December, coming on for 18 minutes against Sevilla FC.

The revelation regarding Camavinga has added fuel to the fire surrounding allegations of incorrect treatment at Real Madrid. This stems from a report by RMC Sport journalist Daniel Riolo, who claimed that superstar Kylian Mbappé had the wrong knee examined, which is why his symptoms had worsened. Several media outlets, including El País, The Athletic and Marca, have confirmed this.

Mbappé subsequently consulted a knee specialist in Paris and is “furious” about the incident, according to Marca, for example. However, the 2018 World Cup winner denied these reports at a press conference with the French national team: “The report claiming that the wrong knee was examined is not true. I may be indirectly to blame for this. If you don’t communicate, everyone seizes the opportunity to fill the gap – that’s just how it goes.”

Due to knee problems, Mbappé missed five matches between late February and mid-March; prior to that, he is said to have played several matches in pain due to the incorrect treatment. The France captain emphasised, however, that there had always been clear agreements with his club: “I’m glad that both my knees feel fine. In a way, I also owe that to my club. I’m very happy to be here, fit and healthy.”

RMC Sport also reported that the misdiagnosis of Mbappé had been a decisive factor in the departure of medical staff at the start of the year. As a result, following his dismissal at the end of 2023, Dr Niko Mihic was rehired as head of the medical department, after the team had only been reorganised last summer. Staff changes in Real’s medical department are by no means uncommon whenever those in charge complain of too many injuries.