〽️@kyks_98
Kylian Mbappé about his injury, Real Madrid and World Cup:
KM: I was following a protocol where I wanted to ease back into playing, not rush things, even though the desire to play was there, of course. But I think it was a good thing (to stop) and I hope that during this break, I'll be able to play and start being decisive and performing again.
How did you manage your long period of unavailability with this knee injury?
KM: I experienced a lot of frustration, a lot of anger, and then some worry at one point, because I reached a stage where I didn't know what was wrong with me. I don't want to go into details right now, because we have a season to play and that's the most important thing, but I didn't get through that period in the best way; I wasn't the happiest player in the world. But I'm happy because today it's behind me; it's not just talk, it really is. I wanted to be careful and not come back too quickly so as not to injure myself somewhere else. I took my time. I'm happy because the team played well in the meantime; we didn't lose sight of the objectives we had.
What exactly happened? There were a lot of rumors...
KM: A lot of people have already given diagnoses, whereas until very recently, I didn't have a diagnosis. I heard a lot of things: surgery, he can't play again, he can't play in the World Cup. I received the diagnosis on a very specific date, which I can't give you right now, but all the rumors before were completely bullshit - sorry to say that, because we mustn't disrespect the journalists. I think that's part of the problem too, and subconsciously it's my fault, even though I couldn't change anything, but there wasn't clear communication, and that leaves the door open to a lot of interpretations. That's the way it is; people jumped on the bandwagon, created rumors, that's life...
How did things go with Real Madrid?
KM: We tried to manage as best we could. We just have to look on the bright side; today I have nothing left and we're still playing for titles, that's the most important thing. We'll have time to take stock later
Were you afraid of missing the World Cup?
KM: No. It was never an issue, because at worst I had a partial tear (of the ligament), so at the very most I would have been out until April. It's a debate I didn't understand. There wasn't even any debate about the end of my season with Real Madrid. I was going to play again. That's why everything that was coming out made no sense. But I can't just come out of hiding about everything, saying this is false, that is false. Otherwise I wouldn't have time to sleep...
How will you manage the objectives that await you with Real Madrid and the World Cup with the French national team?
KM: There's no debate. I've seen people talking about the World Cup. I've played in two World Cups. I won one, and in the other, I reached the final. How did I prepare for the World Cups? By playing every match with my club. For me, it's very clear that I want to play every match with Real Madrid. Why would I change the way I prepare for my World Cup? I'd say: I stay home, I don't play... that's nonsense.
I prepared for my last two World Cups in the best possible way, which is by playing, scoring goals, winning titles, and fighting until the last minute with my club. And I'm going to do the same thing this year to arrive in shape for the World Cup, and I hope to win it too.
Was it difficult being on the bench?
KM: Yes! But it was necessary. Maybe two years ago I would have made the mistake of rushing into playing, and I would have played again. But now, I think you have to take the time to listen to your body to get back to 100%
