Ferland Mendy returns after a month and a half, only to get injured again

Barcelona and Real Madrid are currently facing off in the Spanish Cup final. A real shock for the "Los Blancos" fans was the absence of Kylian Mbappé in the starting lineup.

The start of the match didn't go well for the Madrid club either. Barcelona took control of the ball, while Real faced personnel issues and was forced to make a substitution as early as the 11th minute. The defender became only the third player in Spanish Cup finals history to be substituted within the first 10 minutes of a match.

Ferland Mendy suffered an injury during play and was unable to continue the match, with Fran Garcia stepping onto the field in his place. Interestingly, the player had knee issues and hadn't played since March 12, when Real Madrid defeated Atletico in a Champions League penalty shootout.

Mendy missed nine matches due to his injury and made his first appearance in a month and a half. This season, the Frenchman has provided 2 assists in 29 club-level matches.