Is Kylian Mbappe a serious doubt for Real Madrid vs. Benfica decider?

Kylian Mbappe is a serious doubt for Real Madrid’s Champions League play-off decider against Benfica on Wednesday after continued discomfort in his left knee, a problem that has affected his availability since December.

Is Mbappe fit to face Benfica?

Mbappe, 27, has missed several matches this season because of knee pain, including a home La Liga win over Real Sociedad this month and the Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Atletico Madrid. He did play 90 minutes in Real Madrid’s last two games, including the first-leg victory in Lisbon, but he was said to be in discomfort toward the end of Tuesday’s training session and club staff are pessimistic about his chances of recovering in time.

Mbappe’s knee, missed matches and recent minutes

The France international has been dealing with left-knee trouble since December and is reported to have carried discomfort for several weeks. Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa said on Tuesday that Mbappe is “ready to play” while also acknowledging “everyone knows he’s been dealing with discomfort for several weeks. ” Mbappe has scored 38 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions this season, including 13 in the Champions League.

Prestianni suspended and Mourinho banned for the second leg

Benfica will be without forward Gianluca Prestianni after UEFA provisionally suspended him for one match, “without prejudice, ” following allegations that he racially abused Vinicius Jr after the Brazilian’s winner in the first leg. Prestianni, 20, hid his mouth with his shirt during the confrontation and has insisted he did not racially abuse Vinicius. If UEFA finds that he did, Prestianni could miss at least 10 games.

Benfica coach Jose Mourinho is also suspended for the second leg and cannot sit in the dugout after being sent off during the 1-0 first-leg defeat in Lisbon for making vituperative complaints about the officials from the touchline. Mourinho has not set foot in the Santiago Bernabeu since leaving Real Madrid in 2013.

How the first leg unfolded and the atmosphere in Madrid

Real Madrid go into the play-off decider at the Bernabeu with a 1-0 aggregate lead after Vinicius Jr’s second-half strike in Lisbon. The tie has been overshadowed by allegations of racist abuse; Vinicius wrote “racists are above all cowards” on social media after the game. Mbappe backed his teammate and said he had heard Prestianni calling Vinicius a “monkey. ”

Vinicius’s celebration drew criticism from Mourinho, who called it disrespectful while insisting Benfica is not a racist club and citing the club’s biggest icon, Eusebio. Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois pushed back on Mourinho’s comments, saying, “At the end of the day, Mourinho is Mourinho. As a coach, you’re always, I think, going to defend your club and what your player has told you, ” and adding, “I don’t think Vini did anything wrong there. I don’t think we can justify alleged racism because of a celebration. ”

What happens next and the final decision on Mbappe

A final decision on Mbappe’s participation is set to take place on Wednesday after discussions between the player and Arbeloa, though people close to the player believe he is unlikely to be in a condition to feature. The Champions League play-off second leg between Real Madrid and Benfica is scheduled for Wednesday at 9pm (20: 00 GMT), with Madrid defending a 1-0 aggregate lead and Benfica seeking to overturn that deficit to reach the last 16.