French striker Kylian Mbappe disputed reports about the severity of the left knee sprain that has limited his availability of late for Real Madrid.

“My knee is fine. It’s getting better,” he said at a promotional event in France on Monday. “It’s going quite well, and I know there’s been a lot of speculation about it and some false things have been said.

“It’s the life of a top athlete, and we’re used to people saying things without verifying them or having any basis in fact.”

Mbappe, 27, came off the bench in Real Madrid’s two most recent matches: Sunday’s 3-2 La Liga defeat of Atletico Madrid and a 2-1 win at Manchester City on March 17 in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match.

His last appearance before that, and his most recent start, was on Feb. 21. In 24 La Liga matches this season, Mbappe has 23 goals and four assists.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is on the roster for France’s upcoming friendlies in the United States against Brazil (March 26) and Colombia (March 29).

–Field Level Media