Although Kylian Mbappe was able to practice for the full week before El Clasico, the Real Madrid striker pulled up in the final minutes of the last training session with an injury, apparently aggravating the hamstring overload that was initially reportedly going to keep him out for the remainder of the season before his almost miraculous return to the pitch before El Clasico.
Now, Real Madrid fans are naturally skeptical about all of this. They were skeptical about the initial injury witih the World Cup on the horizon, his sudden return to training, and now the abrupt nature of his absence against Barcelona after it was revealed that manager Alvaro Arbeloa was not planning on starting him over Gonzalo Garcia anyway.
Well, Real Madrid, unlike in their previous games such as the 2-0 win over Espanyol, did not actually play better against Barcelona without Mbappe. Instead, they were about as terrible as usual, torn to bits by the team that is by far the best in Spanish football.
Kylian Mbappe's status remains uncertain
But now, Real Madrid fans are wondering where to go from here. At least in the short term, Mbappe's injury status is up in the air. Speaking at the press conference after another devastating Real Madrid loss, manager Alvaro Arbeloa said this about Mbappe's outlook, via the Madrid Zone, "I don't know if Kylian Mbappé will play again this season. We'll see, based on how he feels and his discomfort."
Arbeloa has mostly protected Kylian Mbappe in press conferences this season despite the worries about him being the mole and the frustration with his lack of defensive effort, probably because he knows both the Frenchman's overall clout in football and the fact that Mbappe is one of those talents who can win you games despite his flaws.
Real Madrid are terrible with and without Mbappe, so him missing games or playing them does not actually make much of a difference. And it won't affect Arbeloa at all either, given his future as a former Real Madrid manager is effectively sealed.
It would be nice for Mbappe to be out there, take some lumps, and fight for the badge as this team tries to build chemistry from the ground up for next season, but it is more likely Mbappe shuts it down with no benefit to playing and no real harm either, since everything will be wiped clean by Florentino Perez for the 2026/27 season with Jose Mourinho likely in tow.
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