Mbappé misses Real Madrid training: his status for the Villarreal clash to be decided

The team currently trail Barcelona by six points.

Kylian Mbappé missed Real Madrid's training session on Monday at Valdebebas, as the French forward's preparations for Saturday's La Liga clash with Villarreal continued.

According to "AS", Mbappé is back in Madrid. The Frenchman's plane touched down at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport this morning alongside his partner, Esther Expósito, at exactly 11:16am Spanish time, captured by the cameras of "El Chiringuito".

Real Madrid had kicked off their session at Valdebebas at 10:30am, so the forward clearly wasn't there.

He is still expected at Valdebebas today, though, to press on with his rehabilitation and training programme after the knee injury that won't keep him out of the Villarreal match.

The pain struck Mbappé in his left knee during the first of four games he played for France over the international break.

That match marked Zidane's debut as a coach, and the Real Madrid striker scored the only goal against Turkey. He felt the pain the moment he struck the ball and had to come off. Mbappé asked to be substituted himself, and he picked the right moment. Real Madrid believe that had he carried on, the injury would have needed surgery.

The striker flew to Spain for medical tests. The results showed he was suffering from a "hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee".

Alarm bells rang at Real Madrid, because this was the same knee in which Mbappé suffered a severe sprain last season. The problem proved minor, though, and Mourinho will have Mbappé available for the Villarreal match on the tenth of October.

Good news, then, for Mourinho. He needs the France star firing to drag Real Madrid back on track this season, with the side six points behind Barcelona in the Spanish league and heading into a defining stretch. After hosting Villarreal and Sevilla, they travel to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona on 25 October.