Mbappe missed Saturday's LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano after suffering an injury in the Champions League win over Atalanta.
Real Madrid will look for their second trophy of the season on Wednesday (December 18) when they take on Mexican club Pachuca in the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup final. Much of the pregame talk focused on the fitness of Kylian Mbappé, who missed Saturday's draw against Rayo Vallecano due to an injury.
The Frenchman became the latest in a long line of Madrid players to suffer fitness problems in the first half of the Champions League win against Atalanta on Tuesday, December 10. After scoring the opening goal in Italy, Mbappé was replaced by Rodrygo after suffering an injury. thigh injury, which immediately cast doubt on his participation in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The official diagnosis, revealed on December 12, was that the 25-year-old would be out of action for 10 days, meaning he would miss Wednesday's match in Qatar.
Will Mbappé play for Real Madrid against Pachuca?
However, Mbappe's recovery has been faster than expected and he is in contention to play against Pachuca, although it has not yet been decided whether he will start or be named as a substitute.
“If he feels good, without risks, and talks to him and the doctors, he will play,” coach Carlo Ancelotti told the media on Tuesday. 'If there is even the slightest risk, he obviously won't do that. The feeling yesterday (Monday) was very good. We are optimistic in that regard.”
With the eyes of the world watching, Real Madrid will undoubtedly want to deploy as many of their stars as possible, realizing that image is everything.
On the other hand, Los Blancos are expected to win with or without Mbappe, and their terrible run of injuries means they can hardly afford to take risks with one of their key players.
It's up to Ancelotti to find the balance, but expect to see Mbappe at some point.
When is Real Madrid-Pachuca? Start time and how to watch
The Intercontinental Cup final between Real Madrid and Pachuca will be played on Wednesday, December 18 at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, with kick-off at 12:00 PM ET / 9:00 AM PT.
Fans in the United States can watch the action on FOX Sports or stream the game on fuboTV, which is offering new users a free trial.
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