Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Is Kylian Mbappe Playing Tonight for Real Madrid vs AS Monaco?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated Jan 20, 2026 11:08 AM ET

The UEFA Champions League returns this week, and Real Madrid will host AS Monaco at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ahead of the match, one of the key players that Real Madrid fans look forward to seeing play more is Kylian Mbappe. The French star suffered an injury at the beginning of 2026 and returned to action last weekend against FC Barcelona.

Mbappe played 20 minutes against Barcelona after coming on in the 76th minute of the match. Mbappe missed the Copa Del Rey Round of 16 game against Albacete.

He returned to play the full game against Levante in La Liga this past weekend, where he scored in Real Madrid's 2-0 home win.

Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid (L) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Levante UD at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on January 17, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The Champions League match tonight could see Kylian Mbappe go up against his former club, AS Monaco, where he made his professional debut.

Kylian Mbappe Set to Play vs AS Monaco

Despite only playing one match for Real Madrid as a starter in 2026 so far, Kylian Mbappe is set to start against AS Monaco today in the Champions League.

Mbappe was included in the Real Madrid squad list for the match against Monaco. Mbappe was also part of the Real Madrid press conference ahead of the match.

✅ ¡Nuestros convocados!
@AS_Monaco_ES pic.twitter.com/RlVWBlPxKO
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) January 19, 2026

The French star said, "We need to go after Monaco from the off, and win the game to be in the top eight."

Real Madrid is currently 7th in the Champions League table with 12 points after six matches, boasting a record of four wins, zero draws, and two losses.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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