Mbappe doubt for Madrid’s Club World Cup opener

Real Madrid trained in Palm Beach ahead of their Club World Cup opener against Al Hilal, but the main headline was the absence of Kylian Mbappe.

The French forward is suffering from a fever and is highly unlikely to feature in the debut clash against the Saudi side.

Mbappe did not take part in Tuesday’s training session, and sources at the club confirmed to EFE that he’s battling a febrile illness.

As a result, his involvement in Wednesday’s Club World Cup meeting remains up in the air, but as of now, his chances of playing are slim.

Should he be ruled out, Mbappe would join Camavinga, Endrick and Ferland Mendy on the absentee list. On a more positive note, Carvajal, Alaba, Militao and Rudiger all trained at full intensity, though doubts persist over their availability, as each is returning from injury.

Shortly after the session, Spanish outlet Cuatro reported that Mbappe is “all but ruled out” for Wednesday’s match, suggesting the forward is unlikely to play any minutes in Madrid’s opening fixture.