Real Madrid have found themselves in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons at a defining juncture of their season. With the club trailing Barcelona by four points in La Liga and gearing up for a high-stakes UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, attention has drifted away from their on-field ambitions to mounting concerns over the club’s medical management.
At the centre of the controversy is star forward Kylian Mbappe, who was allegedly cleared to play despite carrying a knee injury after a major diagnostic error. According to a report by The Athletic, as quoted by Goal.com, Real Madrid’s medical staff mistakenly performed an MRI scan on Mbappe’s right knee instead of his injured left knee back in December 2025.
Since the right knee was healthy, the scan showed no issues, and Mbappe was given the green light to continue playing. The Frenchman went on to feature in three matches, unknowingly aggravating the injury before the mistake was eventually discovered.
A fresh scan on his right knee later revealed a partial tear in the posterior ligament of his left knee. The 27-year-old was reportedly “furious” upon learning of the misdiagnosis, with the incident said to have played a role in his decision to dismiss members of his personal medical team earlier this year.
The episode has intensified scrutiny on Real Madrid’s medical department, which has seen multiple changes in recent years. Former head doctor Dr. Niko Mihic, who had departed in 2023, was rehired after a restructuring last summer. Persistent injury concerns within the squad have also raised alarms, with players like Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras missing action in recent weeks.
Further controversy emerged after former nutritionist Itziar Gonzalez alleged that the club’s staff had relied on AI tools such as ChatGPT for advice on nutritional supplements, sparking debate over professionalism and standards.
Despite the uproar, Mbappe has publicly downplayed concerns around his fitness.
“My knee is fine. It is getting better. Things are going pretty well, and I know there was a lot of speculation about it and false things were said. That is the life of a top-level athlete,” he said.
He added that he underwent a more thorough diagnosis in Paris and is now “100 per cent fit” as he builds towards the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
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