“Look forward to seeing him on the pitch again”: Manchester City, French team… Kylian Mbappé back at the ideal time

Twenty-four days and five missed matches later, Kylian Mbappé is back. Victim of a sprained left knee and suffering from pain for several months, the Real Madrid striker has reached the end of his rehabilitation and his amply necessary rest period. In the Madrid group for the Champions League round of 16 second leg at Manchester City this Tuesday (9 p.m.), he should return to the field, before switching to the France team rally.

But first, he must help the Merengues finish the job. Winners at home in the first leg (3-0), Alvaro Arbeloa’s men have taken a big step towards the quarter-finals, and hope that their top scorer sends them there. While the Spanish coach said on Friday he was “confident that he will be on the trip to Manchester”, he confirmed this Monday at a press conference that he was “available”. With what playing time? “You’ll see tomorrow,” he said with a smile.

Xabi Alonso’s replacement does not hide his satisfaction at seeing “the best player in the world” in his squad. “Kylian brings us different qualities from those that other players like Brahim (Diaz) can bring us, he is an extremely intelligent player,” he underlines. He has many qualities, but I think intelligence takes precedence over everything else: he is a player capable of positioning himself very well in the spaces left by the opponent. I can’t wait to see him again on the pitch, to be able to enjoy his goals, but also his game, because he is going to be a very important player. »

Essential with the Blues

After this crucial European deadline and before a highly anticipated Madrid derby on Sunday in La Liga (9 p.m.), Kylian Mbappé will experience another important moment on Thursday, when Didier Deschamps will unveil the list of players called to play in the two friendly matches planned in the United States against Brazil and Colombia, on March 26 and 29 in Boston and Washington. An American mini-tour in which the captain of the Blues, who places the World Cup above everything else, will participate.

There is no guarantee, however, that he will play both matches. As always, the French staff will make sure to intelligently manage the playing time of their attacker, already exempt from traveling to Iceland, then to Azerbaijan in October and November 2025 due, then, to recurring pain in an ankle. His start for the prestigious meeting against Brazil under Carlo Ancelotti, his former coach in Madrid, is probable. Three days later against Colombia, it seems much more random.

Its presence in the United States as obvious

Even if he had not been able to play, Mbappé would very likely have accompanied the group to the east coast of the United States. Because beyond the purely sporting aspect, its presence indeed has a strategic dimension for the FFF. Between promotional operations, commercial commitments and media requests already planned around this tour, the absence of the French star would be difficult to fill, Mbappé remaining in fact the only player whose popularity goes far beyond European borders.

Its participation takes on all the more weight as the event is part of a major partnership with Nike. The American equipment manufacturer, at the origin of this tour across the Atlantic, is linked to the Federation until 2034 by a contract estimated at around 100 million euros per year. In this context, the presence of the headliner of the Blues is obvious, both for reasons of image and exposure.