Real Madrid offer Kylian Mbappe injury update ahead of Champions League play-off against Benfica after striker sits out Real Sociedad win

Real Madrid CF v Real Sociedad - LaLiga EA Sports

Real Madrid have issued an injury update on star striker Kylian Mbappe ahead of their meeting with Benfica on Tuesday night. The Spanish giants play the Portuguese side in their Champions League playoff clash as the two sides vie to secure a spot in the last-16 of Europe's elite club competition. The fixture sees the sides meet just weeks after Benfica's dramatic 4-2 win over Los Blancos in the group phase.

Mbappe was an unused sub at the weekend

Mbappe scored both Real Madrid goals in their eventual 4-2 loss at the Estadio da Luiz on matchday eight of the Champions League. Andreas Schjelderup scored either side of a Vangelis Pavlidis penalty on the stroke of half time but the moment of the match came in the dying embers of the clash.

Benfica needed to score a fourth in order to secure a playoff spot and in the 98th minute, won a free-kick in a dangerous position. Goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin ultimately scored a late header to send Jose Mourinho's side into the next round of the Champions League at Marseille's expense, while the 4-2 victory saw Real Madrid drop out of the top eight.

And the pair will resume rivalries in Lisbon on Tuesday night before the return leg in Spain next week.

Real Madrid geared up for Tuesday's game with a resounding 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday night but Mbappe was an unused sub in the home triumph, prompting speculation that he may sit out the clash with the Portuguese outfit.

However, Los Blancos have delivered an update Mbappe, who is the top scorer in La Liga this season with 23 goals to his name having struck in last weekend's 2-0 win at Valencia.

Real Madrid CF v Real Sociedad - LaLiga EA Sports

Mbappe's Real Sociedad absence explained

Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa explained that Mbappe's absence against Real Sociedad was was precautionary due to minor physical discomfort.

"Mbappe is doing very well. He has been dealing with small discomfort for some time and has been making efforts to play, so today we didn’t want to take risks ahead of Tuesday’s match," Arbeloa said after the win over La Real.

Mbappe took part in training on Sunday despite being included in Real Madrid's matchday squad on Saturday, while the likes of Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde, who both started the win over the Basque outfit, completed recovery work.

Jude Bellingham is missing owing to a hamstring complaint, while Eder Militao is also injured. Rodrygo and Raul Asencio, meanwhile, are suspended following their respective red cards against Benfica last month.

Arbeloa reflects on Saturday's win

Arbeloa felt that his Real Madrid side put in a complete performance in their 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday. Gonzalo Garcia opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Mikel Oyarzabal equalised from the spot midway through the first half. La Real were level for just four minutes before Vinicius Junior restored Los Blancos' advantage.

Valverde added Real Madrid's third on the half hour mark, and Vinicius Junior scored his second and his side's fourth shortly after the restart to confirm a victory that sent the Madrid giants top ahead of Barcelona's game against Girona on Monday.

"Today we did play a great game defensively, but in the first half we also saw a team in the opponent’s half that was looser, with greater mobility, capable of turning the ball faster," Arbeloa reflected.

"It should be noted that we have worked very well during the week. La Real have arrived in the situation that we have in other times, of coming from playing a game during the week and the opponent has not. We come from a clean week of work and I think it has been noticeable from the beginning."

FBL-ESP-LIGA-REAL MADRID-REAL SOCIEDAD

Praise for Vinicius

Arbeloa was also full of praise for Vinicius Junior, who returned to the side to partner Garcia up front having missed the 2-0 win over Valencia due to a ban. The Brazilian bagged his seventh and eighth league goals of the season against La Real, and after the game, the former defender said: "I’ve been watching a great Vinicius for a month, not just this game. He has been playing games of a very high level, being unbalanced.

"For me he is a player who goes beyond numbers, capable of conditioning matches. He’s a guy with a big heart and a great teammate. We are lucky to have him."