Real Madrid will have to wait a little longer to see Kylian Mbappé back in action.
Although the French forward has returned to training, he’s still not ready to feature in matches. He hasn’t fully recovered from the illness that sidelined him, and as a result, Real Madrid’s wait to bring him back on the pitch continues.
Mbappé missed both of Real Madrid’s first two matches in the Club World Cup. Earlier, coach Xabi Alonso had hinted that he might return for the third game. Ahead of their clash with Red Bull Salzburg, the 26-year-old trained with the team at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
But in the press conference following the training session, Alonso confirmed that Mbappé would once again sit out.
“It was his first time putting on his boots and stepping on the field since falling ill. He did a bit of running and overall looked decent. But he’s still not fully recovered.”
“We spoke after training, and he himself felt that he still needs more rest and must fully recover — especially if we move on to the next stage. If we qualify for the Round of 16, he could be available. For now, he’s still in the recovery phase and not fit enough for this match.”
After arriving in the U.S. for the tournament, Mbappé came down with a fever and stomach issues, eventually requiring hospital care. He’s still working his way back from that episode.
Real Madrid face Salzburg on Friday at 7 AM Bangladesh time. Both teams are on four points from two games, with Madrid leading the group on goal difference. However, neither side has secured a place in the knockouts yet. Their fate and final group standing will be determined by this match.
If Madrid progress, they could face Manchester City or Juventus in the next round — a challenging road ahead. But coach Alonso is focused on the task at hand, not the permutations.
“It makes no sense to start calculating possibilities before tomorrow’s match. Our only goal is to finish top of the group and give it everything we’ve got. We’ll do everything we can to win.”
“The first step is to win and secure the top spot. Then, before the knockout stage, we’ll aim to keep improving as a team.”
