José Mourinho has dismissed the criticism of Kylian Mbappé's recovery from a knee injury as "ridiculous", and signalled that the Real Madrid forward is in line to face Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday.
Speaking at Real Madrid's training ground on Friday, before the La Liga matchday 8 game (20:00 UK), Mourinho said Mbappé had met every obligation to the club during the international break.
Why Mbappé was criticised
Mbappé hurt his left knee while scoring France's winner against Türkiye in the Nations League on 25 September and left the national-team camp. Real Madrid then diagnosed a hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee.
The 27-year-old then spent part of his recovery in France and Switzerland. He was pictured outside a Paris nightclub and riding a bicycle in Switzerland, which drew criticism in Spain because Mourinho had previously said cycling was against his rules. Mbappé returned to training this week.
What Mourinho said
Mourinho said Mbappé reported to the club for scans and then sought a second opinion because of his history with that knee, and that the two diagnoses "coincided completely". He said the nightclub was a venue hired for a private Paris Fashion Week event, and that the bicycles were provided by a hotel of small houses so guests could reach its communal areas.
"Exaggerated, no - I think it was ridiculous," Mourinho said when asked about the coverage. He added that a player who failed to behave as a Real Madrid player should would not even be on the bench, "because he will be at home".
"If Mbappé plays tomorrow, it's because he hasn't failed Real Madrid," he said. Mourinho refused to reveal his line-up, saying only that Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Diomande and one other attacker could play together, but not every forward at once.
Team news and what comes next
Éder Militão is back in training but will miss Villarreal, the Champions League trip to Roma and the home game against Sevilla. Fede Valverde, who suffered a grade-3 ankle sprain in September's derby, remains a doubt, with a decision due after Friday's session. Ferland Mendy trained on the pitch with the group for the first time.
Real Madrid lost their last league match to Atlético Madrid and sit six points behind leaders Barcelona after seven games. After Villarreal, they visit Roma in the Champions League on Wednesday 14 October and host Sevilla on Sunday 18 October.