Kylian Mbappe has been omitted from Real Madrid’s matchday squad for the highly anticipated El Clasico against Barcelona, confirmed by the club’s official social media account.
The French forward was expected to feature in the clash, but according to Marca, he felt discomfort in his hamstring during the final minutes of the last training session, signaling he could not continue and leaving the pitch. This setback came after Mbappe was diagnosed with a left leg muscle injury in late April. Earlier, journalist Fabrizio Romano had indicated that the player might recover in time for the game.
The match is scheduled to take place later on Sunday at Camp Nou in Barcelona, kicking off at 22:00 Moscow time.
Since joining Real Madrid in 2024, the 27-year-old has been prolific, scoring 41 goals in 41 appearances this season. However, his time at the club has not been without controversy. A petition demanding Mbappe’s departure from Real Madrid has collected over 70 million signatures. According to L’Equipe, some teammates are reportedly unhappy with his privileges, his alleged disrespect toward training staff, a 40-minute lateness to a session, and a mid-season trip to Sardinia with actress Ester Expósito while he was supposed to be recovering from an injury.
Despite the off-field noise, Mbappe’s absence adds pressure to Real Madrid as they face their archrivals in a crucial league fixture.
