Real Madrid’s 26 September 2026 medical bulletin diagnosed Kylian Mbappé with hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee. It gave no recovery deadline. Football Italia reported his withdrawal from France duty and suggested he might struggle to recover for the Roma visit on 14 October.
A subsequent official update changes that picture: Real Madrid’s squad list published on 9 October included Mbappé among the forwards for Villarreal. It is evidence of a return to match-squad contention before the European fixture, rather than another estimated recovery period.
Almost Signed analysis: the earlier prediction of difficulty making Roma should not remain the article’s current conclusion after a club squad return has intervened. The evidence now supports a narrower question about his role and workload, not an assumption that he is still outside the selection pool. Inclusion against Villarreal does not, by itself, announce a Roma start or prove unrestricted minutes.
Why it matters
Real Madrid included Kylian Mbappe against Villarreal after the September knee diagnosis, so the earlier Roma doubt must be read as a dated forecast.