By Achile Danjuma
Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said on Friday that he was “confident” that Kylian Mbappe will be available to face Manchester City in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
“He’s getting better day by day,” Arbeloa said at a press conference. “He won’t be there tomorrow (Saturday, in La Liga against Elche), but I’m confident he’ll be on the trip to Manchester.”
With Mbappe sidelined by a knee injury and several other key players missing, Real thrashed City 3–0 in the first leg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday, thanks to a hat-trick from Federico Valverde.
City host the second leg next Tuesday and risk being knocked out of Europe by Madrid for the third season in a row.
France forward Mbappe, hampered by a sprain to his left knee since late December, has not played since withdrawing from the squad to face Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League knockout phase play-off round on February 25.
Mbappe has scored 38 goals in 33 appearances for his club this season.
His expected return for Madrid comes ahead of the international break, where France will face Brazil and Colombia in pre-World Cup friendlies in the United States.