By Chalien Dantes

Kylian Mbappé sat out Real Madrid’s 2-1 Champions League defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday, watching the action from the bench.

The star forward, who has already scored 25 goals this season, was left out of the starting lineup due to a minor knee issue.

He stayed on the sidelines, even as Madrid struggled after City equalised in the first half. At one point, Mbappé gestured to the fourth official, hinting at a possible foul on defender Antonio Rudiger during a corner.

The loss at the Santiago Bernabeu piled more pressure on coach Xabi Alonso. Madrid has won only two of their last eight matches across all competitions and suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo in La Liga just days earlier.

Mbappé has battled injuries recently, including a right ankle problem that kept him out of France’s squad and a fractured finger on his left hand. He trained separately from the team on Tuesday, though he had been in good form, netting seven goals across his previous three games before the Celta clash. He remains the top scorer in both La Liga and the Champions League.

In his absence, Gonzalo Garcia led Madrid’s attack, replaced in the 58th minute by Arda Guler. Brahim Diaz and Endrick also came off the bench later in the game. Mbappé, meanwhile, didn’t even warm up with the other substitutes, leaving fans hoping he’ll return to full fitness soon.