Real Madrid fans will certainly not have been comfortable with the fact that star forward Kylian Mbappe did not take full part in their training session ahead of their derby clash with Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos need to avoid defeat at the Metrpolitano to progress in their Champions League Round of 16 clash agaisnt their city rivals.
Los Blancos take a 2-1 lead from the first leg to what will no doubt be a raucous home crowd for Atletico. Los Colchoneros know that turning around the deficit will not be easy. Carlo Ancelotti’s side have lost two of their last three visits to the Metropolitano though. Ahead of the game, Ancelotti told the media that he had more than 11 players at his disposal and that those who did not start would contribute.
According to Marca, Mbappe will still be among those starters. That is despite missing the first half of their last training session before the game. Mbappe, nursing muscular discomfort on the eve of the derby, spent the first half hour in the gym doing preventative work to guard against injury, before joining his teammates on the pitch as they prepared for another heated clash.
Internally, it is described as ‘a minor issue’, and a precautionary measure rather than anything else – in theory there will be nothing that prevents him from starting his first ever match at the Metropolitano. Diario AS paint a more concerning picture though. They say that he has a knock on his right ankle, and is a genuine doubt for the game – how Mbappe feels in the hours before the game will determine whether he starts or not.
In the lead up to the game, the local press have been focused on his inconsistency of late, although that discussion was branded as ‘incredible’ by teammate Aurelien Tchouameni in the pre-match press conference. His relationship with Vinicius Junior has also come under the microscope, with two both performing well, but rarely linking to the devastating effect some had imagined. Mbappe will be searching for his 30th goal of the season against Atletico.
