 |
| Mbappé Raises Eyebrows, Still Makes Real Madrid Squad for Benfica Clash. |
Real Madrid fans had a brief “wait, what?” moment this week. Kylian Mbappé didn’t train with the main squad on Monday—but don’t panic just yet. The French superstar is still officially named in Madrid’s Champions League squad for the crucial clash against Benfica.
Mbappé, who’s been on absolute fire lately, worked separately from the group at Valdebebas as the new week kicked off. Spanish reports suggest it was a precautionary move rather than a red flag, with the club simply managing his workload to keep him fresh for the big nights ahead.
And honestly, it makes sense. Just days earlier, Mbappé bagged two goals against Villarreal in La Liga, pushing his season total to a massive 34 goals across all competitions. Even more impressive? He’s responsible for nearly half of Real Madrid’s total goals this season. That’s superstar territory.
Mbappé wasn’t the only one on a separate program. Left-back Álvaro Carreras followed a similar routine, yet both players were still called up by new head coach Álvaro Arbeloa. The decision comes as Arbeloa starts to find his groove, riding a three-game winning streak after a shaky start in charge.
The Real Madrid squad has already touched down in Portugal and is set to hold a training session in Lisbon on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday night’s showdown. Assuming nothing unexpected pops up, Mbappé and Carreras are both expected to be in the starting XI.
And make no mistake—this match matters. Real Madrid currently sit third in the Champions League league-phase standings, but the margin for error is slim. They’re only two points ahead of Barcelona, who are lurking down in ninth.
A win against Benfica would seal a top-eight finish and secure an automatic spot in the round of 16—no playoff drama required. Anything less, though, could open the door to slipping out of that safe zone and into an extra knockout round Madrid would rather avoid.
So yeah, all eyes are on Mbappé once again. He trained alone, made the squad anyway, and now looks ready to lead Madrid on another big European night. Classic Champions League tension—just the way fans like it.
- Memuat artikel...
