Real Madrid player Kylian Mbappe (AP Photo)
Real Madrid will head into Sunday’s crucial El Clásico match against FC Barcelona without star striker Kylian Mbappe, representing a major setback to their already dwindling hopes of preventing their rivals from winning the La Liga title again. Mbappe, who is currently the league’s top scorer with 24 goals, failed to recover in time from an injury to his left hamstring that has kept him out of action since the end of April. The France captain was left out of Real Madrid’s squad, leaving the visitors without their biggest attacking weapon in one of the most important matches of the season. The absence comes at a difficult time for Mbappe, who recently responded to criticism surrounding his commitment to the club and his recovery process.
Reports in Spain have claimed that sectors of Madrid’s fanbase fear the striker will be too cautious ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Mbappe has publicly denied these concerns, insisting he remains fully focused on returning to the club as soon as possible. Barcelona is now on the verge of winning the Spanish League title twice in a row. The Catalan giants host their fiercest rivals at Camp Nou, knowing that even a draw will be enough to mathematically secure the championship.
Heading into the final Clásico of the season, Barcelona are 11 points clear of Real Madrid with just four league games remaining. A series of worrying events behind the scenes have also overshadowed Madrid’s preparations for the high-pressure encounter. Midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Chouamini have been fined €500,000 after a heated confrontation during training last week.
The altercation reportedly ended with Valverde suffering a head injury after accidentally hitting the table. The drama didn’t end there. Defender Alvaro Carreras later admitted that he was also involved in a “minor” incident on the training field with one of his team-mates. Spanish reports claimed that Carreras and fellow defender Antonio Rudiger were involved in a quarrel during training. Amid the turmoil, Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa is facing increasing pressure. Arbeloa was promoted from the reserve team following the sacking of Xabi Alonso last January, but the club now appear set to end a second successive season without a major trophy. Spanish media reports have also linked club president Florentino Pérez to an exciting move to bring back Jose Mourinho in an attempt to revive the faltering team and restore discipline within the team.
