French forward Kylian Mbappé will not be part of the Real Madrid squad traveling to Charlotte to face Pachuca in the second matchday of the group stage of the FIFA Club World Cup. The player will remain in Palm Beach, Florida, to continue his recovery process after suffering from acute gastroenteritis, according to sources close to the club.

A complicated recovery process

Mbappé managed to complete only two training sessions in Florida, last Sunday and Monday, before being affected by a feverish condition that prevented him from playing in Madrid’s tournament debut against Al Hilal in Miami. That same night, the forward was hospitalized due to the severity of his gastroenteritis but was discharged a few hours later after receiving treatment.

The Frenchman has been gradually improving and worked out on Friday at the team’s hotel gym, the Four Seasons Resort in Palm Beach, but he is still not ready to compete. For that reason, Mbappé was not included in the group training under Xabi Alonso this Saturday, and he will not travel for Sunday’s match.

The clash between Real Madrid and Pachuca, scheduled to take place at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte at 3:00 p.m. ET (4:00 p.m. local time), is crucial for both teams. The Spaniards aim to secure their position in Group H, while the Mexicans try to bounce back after their initial 1-2 loss against Red Bull Salzburg.

Another setback would leave the team led by Jaime Lozano out of the competition, adding pressure to this decisive match. Meanwhile, Real Madrid will face this challenge without their number 9, raising questions about their performance and strategy.

Meanwhile, the question lingering is whether Mbappé will recover in time for the rest of the Club World Cup or if the acute gastroenteritis will ultimately keep him out of this important international tournament. The forward’s recovery is key for the white club’s aspirations in this competition.