Real Madrid will head into Sunday’s decisive Clasico against FC Barcelona without star forward Kylian Mbappé, dealing a massive setback to their already fading hopes of stopping their rivals from clinching another La Liga crown. Mbappé, who currently tops the league scoring charts with 24 goals, has failed to recover in time from the left hamstring injury that has ruled him out since the end of April. The France captain was left out of Madrid’s traveling squad, leaving the visitors without their biggest attacking weapon for one of the most important matches of the season. The absence comes at a difficult time for Mbappé, who recently responded to criticism surrounding his commitment to the club and his recovery process. Reports in Spain claimed sections of the Madrid fanbase feared the forward was being overly cautious ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Mbappé publicly dismissed those concerns and insisted he remained fully focused on returning for the club as quickly as possible. Barcelona now stand on the verge of sealing back-to-back Spanish league titles. The Catalan giants host their fiercest rivals at Camp Nou knowing that even a draw would be enough to mathematically secure the championship. Heading into the final Clasico of the campaign, Barcelona sit 11 points clear of Madrid with only four league games remaining. Madrid’s preparations for the high-pressure clash have also been overshadowed by a series of troubling incidents behind the scenes. Midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were both handed fines of 500,000 euros following a heated confrontation during training last week. The altercation reportedly ended with Valverde suffering a head injury after accidentally hitting a table. The drama did not end there. Defender Álvaro Carreras later admitted he had also been involved in a “minor” training-ground incident with a teammate. Spanish reports claimed Carreras and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger were involved in a scuffle during practice. Amid the turmoil, Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa is facing mounting pressure. Arbeloa was promoted from the reserve setup after Xabi Alonso was dismissed in January, but the club now appears set to finish a second straight season without a major trophy. Spanish media reports have also linked club president Florentino Pérez with a sensational move to bring back José Mourinho in an effort to revive the struggling side and restore discipline within the squad.
