What Kylian Mbappe did after Real Madrid training goes viral as insider reveals real reason behind crisis

A respected Spanish football journalist has revealed more details about the current crisis at Real Madrid centring around Kylian Mbappe - as team-mate Federico Valverde was taken to hospital following an altercation with another player.

The timeline of events appears to have started shortly after April 24, when Mbappe suffered a hamstring injury during Real's 1-1 draw at Real Betis.

The France striker then took a short vacation to Cagliari after he was permitted by club chiefs to take a break during his recovery.

But that led to AS reporting that the publicity surrounding Mbappe's trip, particularly on social media, had caused 'confusion and unease' back at Real Madrid, said to be 'partly fuelled by the player's inability - or unwillingness - to stay out of sight'.

Fans on social media then picked up on the fact that team-mate Jude Bellingham posted a photo to his Instagram story of the Real team line-up for Saturday's 2-0 win over Espanyol - which Mbappe was not part of.

There is no indication that the story was in any way a hidden message surrounding Mbappe, but it has done little to dampen rumours of a potential internal feud at Real.

Then, it was reported by Spanish media on Thursday that Valverde and team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni had what was described as a 'heated bust-up' at the club's training ground.

It's said that, during the row, Valverde fell and hit his head on a table, sustaining a cut that led to him being rushed to hospital.

Sources told the outlet that the cut, which required stitches, was caused by the Uruguayan star slipping and not from a punch from Tchouameni.

READ NEXT: Real Madrid decide punishment as Valverde hospitalised with cut after Tchouameni fight

Mbappe/Real Madrid crisis explained

Shortly before reports of the aforementioned altercation emerged on Thursday afternoon, respected Spanish football journalist Graham Hunter appeared on the Off The Ball podcast to give more detail on the current situation involving Real Madrid and Mbappe.

"Kylian Mbappe came off, saying, 'I can't go on anymore', and he was given a treatment plan," Hunter said, of how Real dealt with Mbappe's hamstring injury.

"During that treatment plan, given to him by the club, he was absent from key games. And he chose to go to the Italian Mediterranean, to go out to dinner with his girlfriend, to be pictured on a yacht, a boat.

"There was no face-to-face bust-up with Arbeloa.

"What happened was that, after last week's win over Espanyol ... Arbeloa said, 'I keep telling my players that it pains me to see all the other clubs have better running stats than us. You have to make a dozen runs to get the right one as a striker. You have to work hard.

"He said that the history of Real Madrid is not built on players turning up full of talent and wearing a tuxedo. It's about players that sweat blood, who come off the pitch covered in mud, and who compete.

"He didn't mention Mbappe once. But everybody took it principally, not exclusively, to mean Mbappe.

"Mbappe has looked like he did at Paris Saint-Germain ... there is a dissatisfaction from the fans, the media, certainly the coach until he's rermoved at the end of the season, and some of the players, about Mbappe's work ethic.

"The finger of blame is being pointed at Mbappe, not for all the ills of Real Madrid, but for having brought the same attitude about 'I am Kylian, and this is how I do things' to Real Madrid.

"At the moment, it's the cause of - with the Clasico on Sunday, and medical tests to work out whether he is or isn't fit to start that game - it's the cause of huge division and furore and debate, not just at Madrid, but all over Spain."

Despite all the drama, Mbappe was seen hysterically laughing as he drove away from the training ground on Thursday, appearing to show that at least he is in a positive mood ahead of Sunday's El Clasico against Barcelona.