Kylian Mbappe has been omitted from Real Madrid’s travelling party for this evening’s El Clasico showdown at the Nou Camp after experiencing hamstring problems during training on Saturday.
The 27-year-old forward abruptly halted his session with just five minutes remaining, informing teammates he was unable to carry on before departing the pitch.
According to Marca, members of the squad were left stunned, with staff previously optimistic about his availability for the crucial fixture after what had been a promising training session up to that point.
The timing could not be worse for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, who trail their rivals by 11 points in the table.
Barcelona require just a single point from tonight’s encounter to mathematically wrap up the LaLiga championship, leaving Madrid powerless to prevent their Catalan rivals celebrating on home soil.
Mbappe’s absence comes amid intense scrutiny from the Madrid faithful, who have been angered by his decision to holiday on a yacht with his new girlfriend whilst recuperating from his hamstring injury.
The criticism has reached fever pitch with the club facing a second consecutive trophyless campaign, prompting a petition demanding his sale this summer that has gathered millions of signatures.
Despite the mounting pressure, the French international appeared unfazed by the backlash.
Kylian Mbappe had returned to Real Madrid training earlier this week
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He was photographed leaving Madrid’s training facility with a smile on his face following Saturday’s chaotic session.
Arbeloa defended his striker’s demeanour, stating: “For a player to leave training smiling is taking things out of context and making them seem out of place.”
The manager added that everyone recognises the sacrifices Mbappe made to join the club.
The training ground drama extended far beyond Mbappe’s injury setback, with the club engulfed in dressing room turmoil.
Alvaro Arbeloa has overseen a turbulent week at Real Madrid as their crunch clash with Barcelona looms
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Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were involved in a shocking confrontation that left the Uruguayan midfielder unconscious with a head wound requiring hospital treatment
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Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were involved in a shocking confrontation that left the Uruguayan midfielder unconscious with a head wound requiring hospital treatment.
Both players received fines of €500,000 for their involvement in the incident.
While Tchouaméni has been included in the squad for tonight’s fixture, Valverde remains absent alongside Mbappe.
Further unrest emerged this week with reports that Antonio Rudiger had slapped teammate Alvaro Carreras, with the latter releasing a statement that appeared to confirm the altercation took place.
Arbeloa has voiced concerns about information being leaked from within the squad, describing such behaviour as “betrayal and disloyalty to the badge”.
The Real boss also stood firmly behind his players during Friday’s press conference, refusing to condemn them publicly for the incidents.
“What I’m not going to do is publicly crucify them, because they don’t deserve it,” the manager declared.
Barcelona can win LaLiga if they draw with Real Madrid tonight
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“They’ve shown me what it means to be a Real Madrid player over these past four months and years.”
He dismissed suggestions that the players had been unprofessional or disrespectful towards him, calling such claims “absolutely false”.
The former Liverpool defender drew parallels with his own playing days, recalling the 2007 incident when Craig Bellamy struck John Arne-Riise with a golf club after a karaoke dispute, noting that Liverpool still reached the Champions League final that season.
Arbeloa accepted personal responsibility for Madrid’s underwhelming campaign, telling reporters: “If you want to point the finger at someone, here I am.”
