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Why Is Kylian Mbappe Not Playing Tonight for Real Madrid vs. Elche?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Manuel Meza Cienfuegos | Last updated Mar 14, 2026 3:55 PM ET

Real Madrid hosts Elche on Saturday, March 14, on matchday 28 of LaLiga. Kylian Mbappé will not play because he is still recovering from his recent injury.

According to head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, the plan is to give Mbappé, 27, a rest in this game so he can travel with the rest of the squad to Manchester next Tuesday.

"He is getting better every day," he said in his most recent news conference on Friday. "His development is progressing as it should."

"We made a plan. It depends on his progress, but I think he's doing very well. He won't be available tomorrow, but I expect he'll travel to Manchester," he added.

Kylian Mbappe, a player of Real Madrid, is training at Ciudad Real Madrid on March 10, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. Photo by Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images

Real Madrid will visit Manchester City on Tuesday for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Without Mbappé, Los Blancos managed to beat Pep Guardiola's team 3-0, thanks to a hat trick from Federico Valverde.

The French striker has not played since Feb. 21, when Real Madrid lost 1-2 to Osasuna. After that, he missed the Champions League playoff second leg against Benfica, the loss against Getafe, and the 2-1 and 3-0 victories against Celta Vigo and Manchester City, respectively.

After spending some recovery time in Paris and being absent for four consecutive matches, Mbappé is likely to be ready to at least appear on the bench against Manchester City next week.

This season, Mbappé has recorded 39 goals and five assists in 36 matches across LaLiga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup, Champions League, and FIFA Club World Cup.

After the game against City on March 17, Los Blancos' next commitment will be against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, March 22, on matchday 29 of LaLiga.

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

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