Anticipation over Mourinho's stance: Mbappe returns to Real Madrid with an injured body and cryptic messages
He was injured in the match against Turkey.
France's Kylian Mbappé returned to Madrid on Monday morning, following a visit home that sparked considerable controversy.
His international break did not go as he had hoped. In Zinedine Zidane's first match in charge of France, Mbappé scored the winner against Turkey. But he limped off after twisting his left knee.
Mbappé spent part of his recovery in Paris, where cameras caught him at a nightclub in the capital. Now he continues his rehabilitation programme.
Footage captured by the programme "El Chiringuito" shows the former Paris Saint-Germain player on the airport walkway alongside his girlfriend Ester Expósito.
Two questions linger. When will Mbappé be fit to resume training, and what state is his relationship with coach José Mourinho in after the player's message yesterday?
Mbappé stirs controversy with a cryptic message
Fresh controversy erupted in Madrid after Mbappé published photos of himself training on a treadmill and riding an exercise bike as part of his recovery. The striking element wasn't the training itself. It was the cryptic message carried in one of the photos, which brought to mind Mourinho's comments about the professionalism of Real Madrid players.
According to the Spanish newspaper "Sport", Mbappé appeared in one of his stories smiling at the camera. The background featured the song "The Good News.. The Bad Guys", accompanied by the words: "Who is the bad one? The very bad one?", which opened the door to numerous interpretations in Madrid, especially with the exercise bike visible in one of the photos.
That image carries extra weight because of Mourinho's recent comments. He spoke about the need for a footballer to be professional around the clock, warning against certain activities that could expose him to injury, including cycling.
Madrid duly made the connection between Mbappé's photo and the Portuguese coach's words. The French star's appearance on an exercise bike, even as part of his physical and rehabilitation programme, dragged Mourinho's warning back into the spotlight in a way that is difficult to ignore.
Every one of Mbappé's movements is already under scrutiny, which only sharpened the sensitivity. He left the France camp with a knee injury, then continued his treatment outside Madrid with the club's permission.
Mbappé did not refer directly to Mourinho or his comments, and nothing confirms the photo was a message aimed at him. Yet the coincidence of the bike with those cryptic song lyrics gave the post wide scope for interpretation within Madrid circles.
