Real Madrid will go into their first big game of the season on Sunday night, as they travel to Atletico Madrid to face their city rivals. They will do so without their star signing up front though, as Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out.
According to Mario Cortegana of The Athletic, tests on muscle discomfort have revealed a hamstring injury for the French forward. He is expected to miss around three weeks of action. Mbappe came off in their 3-2 victory over Alaves on Tuesday night, citing muscle discomfort, and missing the final 10 minutes.
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Mbappé has an injury to the biceps femoris of his left leg. According to the club, he will be out for three weeks.@TheAthleticFC
— Mario Cortegana (@MarioCortegana) September 25, 2024
Carlo Ancelotti had said that he expected Mbappe to be fit for the derby, but the tests today have revealed a larger issue. It’s a brutal blow for Los Blancos, who are still waiting on the fitness of Eduardo Camavinga for the derby. They will definitely be without Mbappe, David Alaba, Brahim Diaz and Dani Ceballos though.
🇦🇷🗣️ Diego Simeone: “Barely any rest before the Madrid derby? We are managing recovery as best we can with the days we have. For example, today you saw that Koke didn’t train due to the minutes he’s accumulated. We’re looking for the best management.” pic.twitter.com/l4xMukeY9E
— Atletico Universe (@atletiuniverse) September 25, 2024
Mbappe will not only miss the derby, but a Champions League clash against Lille away from home, and the visit of Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabeu. He was just starting to hit his stride too, having netted his 7th goal in 9 games this season on Tuesday night. Mbappe should be back after the international break for clashes against Celta Vigo, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.
It had been thought that Mbappe would lead the line alongside Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior at the Metropolitano, but his absence may tempt Ancelotti into reverting back to a four-midfielder system. Jude Bellingham arriving from deep was the recipe for success last season. He could add in Arda Guler or Luka Modric as more creative options, or hand Endrick Felipe his first full start on the big stage to maintain the trident up front.
