Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has spoken out in defense of forward Kylian Mbappe, calling the criticism aimed at his player "ridiculous".
The France captain has come under fire for spending time recovering from a left knee injury in France and Switzerland rather than in Madrid. Mbappe suffered a hyperextended knee in a Nations League match against Turkey on September 25.
The 27-year-old was also photographed outside a nightclub in Paris and pictured riding a bicycle while in Switzerland.
Some fans saw this as a deliberate slight against Mourinho, especially after the Portuguese coach had said just days earlier that players should avoid skiing or cycling to prevent injuries.
"Is that criticism excessive? It's ridiculous," Mourinho said at a press conference on Friday, ahead of the home La Liga match against Villarreal.
"All the players who have to be here every day for their recovery were here.
"Mbappe came too, like the others, for scans and to be diagnosed.
"Then he went to see a specialist in France because he has a history with his knee, something we couldn't ignore."
Mourinho, whose side lost their most recent match to Atletico Madrid and trail arch-rivals Barcelona by six points, has never shied away from controversy and rebutted each criticism aimed at Mbappe.
"Football-related matters aren't enough for you to dig into," the 63-year-old coach told reporters.
"So you make up the nightclub story, when in reality it wasn't a nightclub but a venue hosting a private event for Fashion Week.
"And as for the cycling in Switzerland, that was at a hotel made up of small cabins, where they provide bikes for guests to get around the common areas, and you want us to believe he was racing in the Tour of Switzerland."
Mbappe returned to training on Wednesday and could feature as soon as Saturday. Mourinho dismissed the possibility of Mbappe being treated hostilely by fans in the Villarreal match, reiterating that he is "certain" the all-time World Cup top scorer has fulfilled "his duty to Real Madrid".
This is not the first time this season that Mbappe has been targeted by fans.
Ultras Sur, a Real Madrid supporters' group with far-right ties that is banned from the Santiago Bernabeu, protested against him last month.
They were angered because before a Real Madrid match, Mbappe, along with Vinicius Jr and fellow Frenchman Ibrahima Konate, partially lifted their shirts to reveal the message "We are all Ceutans" - a show of support for the people of the Spanish territory bordering Morocco.
Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa, has been struggling with a migration crisis in recent times.
Earlier this season, Mbappe was also criticized for his choice of recovery location after a previous injury, leading to an online "Mbappe Out" campaign launched by some Real fans.
