Real Madrid News
Real Madrid have no clear update on superstar’s availability ahead of El Clasico
There is growing uncertainty around Real Madrid and their biggest attacking star ahead of a decisive El Clasico.
With the title race hanging in the balance, all eyes are now on Kylian Mbappe and whether he will be fit in time to face Barcelona on May 10.
According to a report from AS, there is increasing doubt about Mbappe’s availability, with recent fitness concerns continuing to cast a shadow over his involvement.
The French forward has been dealing with a knee issue, one that he has managed for a large part of the season.
However, the latest assessments have not been encouraging, and the feeling within the club is that making it back on time will be difficult.
A difficult period
In recent days, Mbappe has also been in the spotlight for reasons beyond football.
Images of his short getaway to Cagliari with his partner have circulated widely, raising eyebrows considering the timing of this trip.
While the club had approved his rest period, the visibility of the trip has not gone down well internally, especially with such a crucial fixture approaching.
From Madrid’s perspective, the decision to allow him time off was based on the physical effort he has put in throughout the campaign.
The idea was to help him recover properly rather than rush him back. However, the public nature of the break has added unwanted attention, particularly when focus and unity are expected to be at their highest.
Uncertainty regarding El Clasico
More importantly, medical evaluations carried out after the recent clash with Real Betis had already suggested that his chances of featuring in El Clasico were slim, which is why there has been no rush in his recovery process.
On the other hand, there is also a subtle impact on the dressing room dynamic. At a time when the squad is fully focused on stopping Barcelona from sealing the title, Mbappe’s situation has created a slight disconnect.
The team is preparing for one of the biggest matches of the season, yet their key forward remains a major doubt.
Real Madrid News
Mourinho refuses to reveal Alexander-Arnold plan before Real Madrid face Inter: ‘Not going to comment’
Jose Mourinho has made his priority clear ahead of Real Madrid’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan: winning matters more than producing another attractive performance.
The Portuguese manager faced the media before Tuesday’s meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid looking to respond immediately after suffering their first defeat of the season against Real Betis in La Liga.
Mourinho acknowledged that his team performed well in that match but ultimately failed to turn their attacking play into a result. Against Inter, he wants the outcome first.
“I want to win. I could say I want to play well, but I don’t want to play well as we did against Betis and then lose. I want to win.
“We’re in a run of eight matches with the aim of qualifying and I believe we’re going to do it.
“But I want to approach this match as a one-off, in isolation from that context, without thinking about the fact that there will be seven more to go. I want to win.”
Mourinho refuses to reveal midfield solution
The Betis defeat has not changed Mourinho’s belief in his team’s overall level.
He insisted that the mistakes made that night should be viewed as an isolated problem rather than evidence of a deeper crisis.
“After analysing our performance, we’re increasingly convinced that we played well. That we played against a strong side and that our mistakes were a one-off. That we’re in good shape.
“We’ve got some issues in midfield for tomorrow’s match, but we’re going to play and compete.”
Those issues have left Alexander-Arnold’s possible move into midfield under scrutiny, but Mourinho refused to confirm whether the England international will actually feature there.
“I’m not going to comment on that. I could spend ages here talking about it, but I’d rather be honest with you.
“The three players are out, I know… the fixture list has dictated that we’re playing this match in these circumstances, and although your question is obvious, here we are.
“We’ve got three, four, five options. We could spend ages here discussing them all, but in the end I’m not going to tell you anything.”
Endrick available only for cameo
Mourinho also provided a clear update on Endrick, who has only recently returned to team training and is nowhere near full match fitness.
“He might be ready to play for 5 minutes tomorrow. Or 10′, at most. And that’s it. He trained with the team for the first time yesterday.
“He hasn’t played since… Budapest or Austria, a friendly. He’s not fit for more than 5–10 minutes. But as we’ve got so many spare places on the bench, there he is.”
The manager was equally clear that his history with Real Madrid and Inter will not distract him during the match.
Mourinho praised Inter coach Chivu and acknowledged their personal connection, but insisted his emotions can wait until the final whistle.
“During the match, I won’t be thinking about things from the past. Chivu will always be one of my own. I’m very happy for him, for what he’s achieving.
“I’ll say hello to him before and after. During… the match.”
Mourinho demands stability and questions VAR
Mourinho rejected the idea that he owes Real Madrid a Champions League title because of his previous spells at the club, stressing that his current job should be judged independently of his past.
“No. I’ve been at Real Madrid during two different spells. My time there ended in 2013; we won what we won and lost what we lost.
“We gave it our all. And that was that. But this has nothing to do with the past.
“They are two different moments in Real Madrid’s history. That’s just how it is.”
He also explained what he wants to build at Madrid this time around: consistency.
“I’ve found a club… which is Real Madrid. And that says it all. Real Madrid is Real Madrid.
“They had a very difficult season in the past, and when that happens, you have to work to improve.
“We always want to win here. Tomorrow, in every competition. But you have to work on stability and problem-solving. Real Madrid must move towards a stable level.”
Mourinho then returned to the controversial penalty decision against Betis, questioning why VAR did not intervene.
“I’m going to answer it differently. But as this question hasn’t actually been put to me, I’ll say this: we lost to Betis. We lost because we failed to convert our attacking play into goals. Full stop.
“But the penalty… Why wasn’t it reviewed? Well, because the VAR doesn’t know the rules… or because he didn’t want to. This is a question I’d like those in charge to answer. Why?
“If the VAR didn’t order a review because he didn’t know the rules, he should go home and leave it at that. If he didn’t order a review because he didn’t want to, that’s even worse.
“And then there’s an even worse one: if they didn’t know the rules, why didn’t they call the referee over to check it on the monitor? It’s a bit strange,” he concluded.
Source: AS
