Real Madrid fans certainly didn’t appreciate the fact that their star striker Kylian Mbappé didn’t participate in their full training session ahead of the derby against Atlético Madrid.
The Merengues must avoid defeat at the Metropolitano to advance to the Champions League round of 16 against their city rivals.
The Merengues lead 2-1 in the first leg in front of a crowd that promises to be cheering for Atlético. The Colchoneros know it won’t be easy to overcome this deficit. Carlo Ancelotti’s team, however, has lost two of its last three away games at the Metropolitano. Before the match, Ancelotti told the media that he had more than 11 players available and that those who weren’t starting would make their contribution.
No worries?
According to Marca, Mbappé will still start, despite missing the first half of their last training session. The Bondy player, who suffered from muscle discomfort on the eve of the derby, spent the first half hour in the gym performing preventative exercises to guard against injury, before joining his teammates on the pitch to prepare for another intense match.
Internally, it’s a “minor issue,” a precautionary measure rather than anything else; in theory, nothing will prevent him from starting his first-ever match at the Metropolitano. Diario AS, however, paints a more worrying picture. He has a right ankle injury and is doubtful for the match. Mbappé’s condition in the hours leading up to the match will determine his starting position.
In the run-up to the match, the local press has recently focused on his lack of consistency, although this discussion was described as “unbelievable” by his teammate Aurélien Tchouameni during the pre-match press conference. His relationship with Vinicius Junior has also come under scrutiny: both players have put in good performances, but have rarely had the devastating effect some had expected. Mbappé will be looking for his 30th goal of the season against Atlético.
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