Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa says he is confident Kylian Mbappe will be fit to face Manchester City in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie next week.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Arbeloa revealed the French forward is progressing well in his recovery from a knee injury, although he will not feature in Saturday’s La Liga clash against Elche.

“He’s getting better day by day,” Arbeloa said. “He won’t be there tomorrow, but I’m confident he’ll be on the trip to Manchester.”

Mbappe’s potential return would provide a significant boost for Madrid ahead of the decisive second leg at the Etihad Stadium. Despite being without the star forward and several other key players, Madrid secured a commanding 3–0 victory in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu earlier this week.

Midfielder Federico Valverde was the hero on the night, scoring a hat-trick to put the Spanish giants in a strong position ahead of the return fixture.

City now face the prospect of being eliminated from the competition by Madrid for the third consecutive season if they fail to overturn the deficit on Tuesday.

Mbappe has been sidelined with a sprain to his left knee since late December and has not played since withdrawing from the squad for Madrid’s Champions League knockout phase play-off second leg against Benfica on February 25.

Despite the injury setback, the 26-year-old has enjoyed a prolific campaign, scoring 38 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions this season.

His expected return also comes just ahead of the international break, during which France national football team are scheduled to play friendly matches against Brazil national football team and Colombia national football team in the United States as part of their preparations for the upcoming World Cup.