Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe misses training ahead of Manchester City clash

MADRID – Real Madrid’s star man Kylian Mbappe did not come out to train with his teammates on Dec 9, the eve of his team’s pivotal Champions League clash against Manchester City.

The forward broke a finger during Real’s 2-0 home defeat by Celta Vigo in the La Liga on Dec 7. When asked by AFP, Real said his absence from training was because of that injury and also other discomfort he suffered from that match.

If Mbappe is unable to play against City on Dec 10, it would be a big blow for coach Xabi Alonso, as Spanish media reported that a defeat would lead to his dismissal.

The 26-year-old striker has scored 25 goals in 21 matches across all competitions this season and has been Real’s key player amid the team’s struggles.

After just two victories in seven matches, fractures have emerged in Alonso’s Real project. The Spaniard, however, remained defiant.

“This is a team, a club, we are united, and when you’re Real Madrid coach, you have to be ready to face these situations calmly, with unity and responsibility,” Alonso told reporters on Dec 9.

“I am really looking forward for what’s to come, and that starts tomorrow. We know this can change, from the anger there was (on Dec 7), normal, to the excitement about (facing City)...

“For good or bad, things can change quickly in football, your perspective can change, and we’re in that moment.”

So often this season Real have looked underwhelming but been rescued by Mbappe’s lethal brilliance, as he leads the scoring charts in both the La Liga and Champions League.

Pep Guardiola’s City are spearheaded by Haaland, who has scored 20 goals in 20 matches across all competitions. The Norwegian, along with Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane, is one of Mbappe’s rivals for the standout star of the season.

The pair have also been drawn against each other at next summer’s World Cup, with France set to face Norway on Jun 26 in the United States.

The first chapter of that battle was set to play out at the Bernabeu on Dec 10, before news of Mbappe’s injury.

This season, City are structured around Haaland, playing to the forward’s strengths and aiming for the majority of their moves to end with the ball at his feet in front of goal.

Meanwhile, whatever structure Alonso tried to impart at Real has ebbed away amid a tussle for power with the players, although Mbappe’s quality has made him their key figure.

“The team is a flat, uninspired group clustered around Mbappe, whose goals merely mask the crisis,” reported Spanish newspaper AS on Dec 7, after the defeat by Celta.

“If he takes a day off, there’s no alternative.”

After a slow start to life in Spain following his move from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, Mbappe found his top gear in the second half of last season.

He has scored 55 goals for his club in 2025, four short of the 59-goal record set by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2013.

It remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to even feature against City. His absence would be a big loss for Real, as they would also lose a leader on the pitch if he is ruled out.

After a 1-1 draw at Girona at the end of November, Mbappe called on the team to “show who we are” and “change this dynamic”.

“It’s not just about goals for Kylian... but he does other hugely fundamental things like leadership, influence, helping his teammates, and that’s so important,” said Alonso, appreciating the calls for unity from Mbappe.

Despite their poor form, Alonso also said his team are convinced they can beat City at the Bernabeu to bolster their position in the league phase table, where they are currently fifth ahead of the Dec 9 round of matches.

“We are mentally ready for what is coming, the team is united, we are all convinced we can win tomorrow,” he added. “We have to play at a good speed and intensity, we have to compete, of that there is no doubt.” AFP, REUTERS