Former Champions League winner Thierry Henry delivered a stinging criticism of Real Madrid’s misfiring Kylian Mbappe while defending the goalless Jude Bellingham.

Henry had his say after Real Madrid’s limp 3-1 defeat at home to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. Carlo Ancelotti’s side were thumped 4-0 in the Santiago Bernabeu by arch-rivals Barcelona at the end of October and the Italian coach has revealed his concerns with a team which he freely admits “is not playing well”.

Mbappe has been a lightning rod for plenty of the backlash after a poor run of form. The French summer arrival is yet to settle in Madrid and boasts just five non-penalty goals in 15 appearances across all competitions this season. Jude Bellingham racked up a sensational 23-goal haul last term, but is yet to score since the summer.

In his role as a pundit for CBS Sports, Henry offered an impassioned defence for the England midfielder while taking down his countryman. “It’s almost always Bellingham that tries to make the runs, makes the team play,” the former Barcelona player explained.

“He is still the one who tries to break the lines. Who is running and trying to get to the finish line? It’s Bellingham that is doing Mbappe’s job.

“This can happen from time to time, but not all the time. Do you think Bellingham likes to do these runs to stretch the team? He does it because he has the desire and the will to do it.”

Mbappe was surprisingly left out of France’s squad for this month’s upcoming internationals despite being injury free. Former Madrid forward Karim Benzema argued that the natural left winger was struggling to find his position in a team which already includes Vinicius Junior.

At the end of his fierce critique of Mbappe, Henry conceded: “You have to give him time, but he must learn to play as a ‘nine’ and have the desire and the will to do so. I think the team is frustrated with him, which I can understand.”

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