Kylian Mbappé during Real Madrid’s Saturday training session / Dennis Agyeman / AFP7 / Europa Press
Kylian Mbappé will not be at Camp Nou.
A surprise in the squad list, as the Frenchman was widely expected to be included, especially after recent training sessions at Valdebebas where his physical condition suggested he was fit to play. In fact, his last-minute withdrawal “has surprised” the Real Madrid dressing room, where some teammates even believed he would start at the stadium.
The French star will watch the clásico on television instead.
This marks another match where Mbappé is not a protagonist, similar to the Supercopa de España final in Saudi Arabia, where he played only 14 minutes. It is a new chapter in his notable absences this season, as Real Madrid has faced crucial games without him. This ‘clásico del alirón’ (title-deciding clásico) adds to previous no-shows against Manchester City, Benfica, Atlético Madrid, Barcelona, and Albacete, among others.
Physically, the Frenchman could have been on the list. On Thursday, he trained with the group for part of the session, completed Friday’s practice, and mysteriously left the final five minutes of Saturday’s session. He is suffering from muscle overload, and in such cases, participation depends on the player’s feelings. A rupture has a defined treatment plan, but these niggles do not. With the World Cup approaching, the player is cautious about taking risks. It has been 16 days since he felt a strain in the semitendinosus muscle of his left leg during the match against Betis at La Cartuja, though a scan showed no tear. He played 81 minutes against Betis and exited complaining of mild pain. He then disappeared from training and appeared in Sardinia with his partner, actress Ester Expósito. He landed in Madrid just minutes before Real Madrid stepped onto the pitch at Cornellà-El Prat to face Espanyol.
This tumultuous week saw him leave Valdebebas laughing on the day of the Tchouaméni-Valverde altercation, and everyone assumed he would board the plane to Barcelona. Notably, Florentino Pérez did not hide his displeasure at images of Mbappé in Sardinia while his teammates were training. His absence this afternoon is further testing the patience of Madrid fans, who will deliver their verdict on the Frenchman next Thursday when Real Madrid host Oviedo, possibly with the league already decided.
**Courtois’s Commitment**
One player who is on the plane is Thibaut Courtois, the best news of the week. The Belgian has been out for a month and a half, during the most critical period of the season for a Real Madrid side that has crumbled. Without their goalkeeper, they suffered elimination from the Champions League and dropped points in La Liga against accessible opponents. Worse still, the dressing room has drifted, lacking leaders who can act as such in the face of selfish behavior from captains like Carvajal or Valverde.
Courtois boards the plane and is likely to start under Arbeloa, asserting his hierarchy and demonstrating the commitment that Kylian Mbappé, for example, has not shown. The Belgian has overcome the muscle tear in his right rectus femoris suffered on March 17 in the first leg against Manchester City. After working partially with the group for weeks, he has accelerated his recovery to be at Camp Nou tonight, leading his teammates in a truly challenging match for the whites.
