Kylian Mbappé resumes solo training at Real Madrid after Paris trip and cycling video
The French forward completed an individual session at Valdebebas on Monday as he targets a return against Villarreal following a left knee hyperextension.
Individual training at Valdebebas
Kylian Mbappé returned to Real Madrid on Monday, 5 October 2026, to conduct an individual training session at the Ciudad Real Madrid complex in Valdebebas. The 27-year-old French forward worked indoors and outdoors on the turf, completing drills with and without the ball as part of his rehabilitation program. Mbappé landed in the Spanish capital after 11:00 AM, thirty minutes after the rest of the squad had begun their morning session. Real Madrid confirmed that the forward is targeting a return for the matchday eight fixture against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday, 10 October 2026, scheduled for 21:00.
The injury and holiday controversy
Mbappé suffered a hyperextension of the left knee on 25 September during France's 1-0 Nations League victory over Turkey, a match in which he scored the winning goal before departing the national team camp. Medical tests confirmed the injury, with the club initially projecting a recovery timeline of two to three weeks. During his rehabilitation period, Spanish supporters criticized the player after images showed him leaving the Tam-Tam nightclub in Paris in the early hours of Tuesday alongside his partner, Ester Expósito. Although Mbappé held formal permission from Real Madrid for the trip, Spanish commentators questioned the timing of the visit during an active recovery process.
- Mbappé suffers a left knee hyperextension during France's 1-0 victory over Turkey
- Seen leaving the Tam-Tam nightclub in Paris during scheduled club leave
- Shares social media footage cycling outdoors despite team prohibitions
- Lands in Madrid and completes an individual training session at Valdebebas
- Targeted return date for La Liga matchday 8 against Villarreal at the Bernabéu
Social media video and Mourinho's rules
Controversy increased on Sunday, 4 October 2026, when Mbappé posted social media footage of himself cycling on an outdoor path while wearing a helmet, accompanied by the Michel Fugain and Le Big Bazar song 'Les gentils, les méchants'. Earlier that day, he had shared footage running on a treadmill. The cycling video drew direct comparisons in the Spanish press to remarks made ten days earlier by Real Madrid coach José Mourinho on the 'Bet It Drive Show' podcast, where the Portuguese manager warned players against off-pitch physical risks.
Unfortunately, a football player cannot ski or ride a bicycle; if he does, and there are those who do it hiding from the club... I do not care about the contract. What matters to me is how you approach your job. If you fall off the bicycle, you might miss three games, or worse: you can break a leg or suffer a contusion that prevents you from performing at the highest level.
Media reaction and sporting pressure
The publication provoked strong reactions across Madrid sports media regarding dressing-room authority. Speaking on Cadena SER, journalist Antonio Romero questioned the forward's focus and standing within the squad.
Mbappé assumes being the star striker of Real Madrid, but he also considers that he can do whatever he wants. Since nobody at the club tells him anything, quite the contrary, he feels he has more power. He must be careful, and I begin to doubt that he is really intelligent. He will never be able to be the leader of the Real Madrid dressing room. Someone should tell him, this is not Mbappé FC here, this is Real Madrid.
On Cadena COPE, journalist Juanma Castaño remarked that the club hierarchy maintains greater institutional commitment to Vinícius Júnior than to Mbappé. The forward has scored seven goals in seven league appearances this season, but Real Madrid sits in fourth place in La Liga, trailing leaders Barcelona by six points ahead of Saturday's match against Villarreal.
