Kylian Mbappe is a major doubt for Real Madrid’s opening match of the FIFA Club World Cup against Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal on Wednesday, after missing training on Tuesday due to illness.
Club sources told Reuters that the French star woke up with a high fever. While he has not been officially ruled out, his participation in the match at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is in “more than reasonable doubt.”
Mbappe’s potential absence poses a significant selection challenge for newly appointed manager Xabi Alonso, with the 25-year-old currently the only recognised centre-forward in Madrid’s squad.
Teenage Brazilian striker Endrick, who might have offered a solution, did not travel with the team after suffering a leg muscle injury in last month’s LaLiga clash against Sevilla.
Mbappe has been a standout performer since his high-profile summer move from Paris Saint-Germain, netting 31 goals in LaLiga to date and quickly establishing himself as a key figure in Madrid’s attack.
Real Madrid enter the Club World Cup as strong favourites, having won five of the last ten UEFA Champions League titles and asserting dominance over European football in the past decade.
Al-Hilal, winners of the 2021 AFC Champions League, will be eager to exploit any gaps in Madrid’s line-up should Mbappe miss out.
