Team Reportedly Did MRI on Wrong Leg of Star

A lot of controversy is swirling around a star soccer player's knee and reports of a major blunder by his team's medical staff. Multiple accounts—including in the Athletic, Marca, and France's RMC Sport—say that when Real Madrid staffers evaluated Kylian Mbappe in December, they conducted an MRI on the wrong leg. He then continued to play for three full games after receiving the all-clear, before a second medical evaluation—this time on the injured knee—corrected the mistake, according to the reports. The subsequent scan on his left leg reportedly revealed a partial posterior ligament tear, which was described by the club as a "knee sprain."

The team has not confirmed the mistake, and Mbappe himself told reporters on Wednesday that the accounts aren't true, reports ESPN. "Perhaps I bear some indirect responsibility for the situation, because when you don't communicate about what you have and what is going on, it leaves the door open to interpretation." However, all the outlets are standing by their stories. Whatever happened, Mbappe is slowly returning to action. He recently played limited time in two games for Real Madrid, and has since joined the French team for international play.