Mourinho says Mbappé will play against Villarreal

José Mourinho said Kylian Mbappé would play against Villarreal and be available for Real Madrid. The coach maintains that the forward has met his obligations, despite criticism of his activities while recovering from a knee injury.

Asked about the scrutiny after Mbappé was seen at a private fashion event in Paris and later riding a bicycle in Switzerland, Mourinho dismissed suggestions of unprofessional conduct. He explained that the player had undergone medical assessments before seeking a second opinion. “There was complete agreement between both diagnoses. The details of the recovery are not something you need to know,” he said, adding: “Then we enter the realm of looking for problems.”

The coach also defended Mbappé over the attention paid to those two activities. He described the Paris event as a private gathering at a venue transformed for Paris Fashion Week. As for the bicycle, Mourinho said it was used at the hotel where Mbappé was staying. He also raised the case of Huijsen, whom he believes was unfairly portrayed after being seen near Thiago’s home.

“I promise the Bernabéu that if a Real Madrid player does not behave as a Real Madrid player should, or fails in his duties as a player or as a citizen, you will not see that player on the bench,” he warned. But Mourinho said he had no reason to punish Mbappé, adding that the same rules apply to every player, regardless of reputation. He believes the attention around Madrid has become excessive and that the media are trying to turn supporters against the forward.

“I was expecting the first question to be the only one about the match: a difficult match that has to be won. It seems ridiculous to me,” he concluded.