Arbeloa hopes Mbappe out 'not too long' with knee issue

Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said that star striker Kylian Mbappe will not be making a speedy return from the knee injury that forced him out of the Champions League play-off second leg against Benfica on Wednesday.

France captain Mbappe, 27, had been playing through pain for a couple of months, but is now expected to miss at least 10 days as he recovers.

"It was a bit of a consensus between everyone (Mbappe, the coach and the doctors), and we think the best thing is that he stops, that he recovers and comes back at 100 percent," Arbeloa told Movistar.

"It's not going to be a question of days, it will be a bit longer, but I can't say how long, hopefully not too long."

Sources told AFP that Real's top scorer had to withdraw from the squad to face Benfica because he felt "pain that was too persistent" in training ahead of the game.