Kylian Mbappe Injury: Unavailable for Clasico

Mbappe (hamstring) was not included in the squad for Sunday's Clasico against Barcelona after withdrawing from the final part of Saturday's training session, with the semitendinosus injury in his left leg failing to heal in time, according to the club.

Mbappe's late withdrawal is a significant blow for Real Madrid after he had passed his fitness tests Thursday and appeared to be closing in on a return. The setback during Saturday's session ultimately proved decisive, forcing the coaching staff to leave him out of the squad for one of the most high-profile fixtures of the season. Vinicius Junior will lead the attack in his absence, with Brahim Diaz and Gonzalo Garcia among the other options available to coach Alvaro Arbeloa. The Merengues will now hope Mbappe can recover fully before the final fixtures of the campaign.