Kylian Mbappé ruled out for the Super Cup match against Atletico Madrid
Bad news for Real Madrid ahead of the Supercopa: Kylian Mbappé is racing against time, but the derby against Atlético will come too soon.
A cold shower before the Supercopa
It was an unwelcome surprise on the eve of Three Kings’ Day. With just days to go before the Spanish Super Cup, Kylian Mbappé trained exclusively in the gym on Monday, raising immediate doubts about his availability. While Real Madrid have officially postponed a final decision until Tuesday’s training session, sources around the club already consider his participation in Thursday’s semifinal against Atlético Madrid to be off the table.
The focus now shifts to whether Mbappé can recover in time to travel to Jeddah and potentially feature later in the Supercopa — but the derby itself is no longer part of the equation.
Another derby without Mbappé
This will be yet another Madrid derby without the French superstar. Mbappé already missed the first derby played by Real Madrid following his arrival in September 2024, a match held at the Metropolitano. In the four derbies he has featured in since then, he has scored twice — both goals coming in LaLiga.
Last season, he struck to level the score at the Santiago Bernabéu, and earlier this campaign he also found the net at the Metropolitano before a heavy defeat unfolded. Despite his strong record in these fixtures, this particular showdown will go on without him.
Knee injury forces caution
Mbappé was diagnosed on New Year’s Eve with a sprain in his left knee, an issue that had been troubling him for several weeks. The same discomfort had already forced him to miss the December 10 clash against Manchester City, which until recently was the only game he had sat out this season.
Before the holiday break, Mbappé had finished the year in devastating form, scoring freely against Alavés, Talavera (twice), and Sevilla, and equaling Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 59 goals in a calendar year. However, after the Christmas pause, his knee finally demanded rest.
Xabi Alonso urges patience
Head coach Xabi Alonso had already sounded cautious ahead of the Betis match last weekend when asked about Mbappé’s chances of featuring in Saudi Arabia.
“We’re going to push the timelines as much as we can. We’ll do everything possible to have him ready as soon as possible. When is ‘as soon as possible’? That’s the question. I don’t know. The Supercopa? We hope,” Alonso said, offering little certainty.
Despite the setback, Mbappé’s durability remains remarkable. Since joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, he has missed just 11 of 94 matches, most of them due to short-term issues.
Squad updates and AFCON absences
There was at least one positive note for Alonso on Monday, as Dean Huijsen returned to full training after missing the Betis match. The final Supercopa squad will be confirmed after Tuesday’s session.
Real Madrid will also be without Éder Militão and Trent Alexander-Arnold, both sidelined through injury, while Brahim Díaz remains unavailable as he continues his AFCON 2025 campaign with Morocco — where he has scored in all four matches played by the Atlas Lions so far.
With or without Mbappé, Real Madrid now turn their attention to chasing a 14th Spanish Super Cup title, hoping their depth can once again carry them through.
