Madrid's Trainer Ancelotti Discusses Mbappe's Role in Intercontinental Cup Final for Real Madrid
Carlo Ancelotti, the head coach of Real Madrid, announced that injured striker Kylian Mbappe will head to Qatar for the Intercontinental Cup final next week, despite a La Liga encounter with Rayo Vallecano coming up first.
Mbappe stunned Atalanta with a brilliant goal inside the first 10 minutes during the Champions League match on Tuesday, but requested to be substituted 25 minutes later.
Following a 3-2 victory in Bergamo, Ancelotti attempted to downplay the gravity of the situation, yet the club later confirmed on Thursday that Mbappe had sustained an injury to his left thigh.
According to AS, Mbappe is expected to be out for 10 days, which means he will likely miss both the Rayo Vallecano game and potentially the Intercontinental Cup final on December 18.
At a press conference on Friday before the upcoming fixture, Ancelotti provided an update on Mbappe's condition.
"Mbappe's injury isn't too serious," Ancelotti declared. "He won't be available for the match [tomorrow], but he'll travel to Qatar to see if he can participate in part of the [Intercontinental Cup] without risk."
Ancelotti affirmed it was worth Mbappe making the trip in the hope of recovering from his injury. As for midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, he's "fit and ready" for the match in Vallecas.
Questioned about Mbappe's muscular issues, Ancelotti admitted it was "difficult to determine the origin".
"During the last two international breaks, Mbappe has been here, trained well, and rested. His recent performances have significantly improved. Fortunately, it's a short-term issue and he won't lose the progress he's made lately," Ancelotti explained.
Despite the negative sentiment surrounding Madrid at present, Ancelotti remained "more optimistic" than before due to his club having a game in hand in a challenging situation.
"Everyone's commitment, attitude, and individual quality... It was a complete performance [against Atalanta], and it gives us hope for the future and our upcoming matches starting tomorrow. On Wednesday, we have a crucial game, but first, we need to put on an excellent show tomorrow," Ancelotti emphasized.
With a victory against Rayo, Real Madrid can leapfrog to the top of the La Liga standings by a single point, provided Barcelona fails to beat Leganes in Spain that evening.
Despite the injury, FC Barcelona's rival Kylian Mbappe is set to participate in the Intercontinental Cup final, given his trip to Qatar. This follows his brilliant goal in the Champions League match against Atalanta, where Mbappe's team, now coached by Carlo Ancelotti, secured a 3-2 victory. Regardless of this victory, La Liga opponents Rayo Vallecano could potentially benefit from Mbappe's absence in their upcoming encounter.
