Kylian Mbappe Rushed to Hospital, Forced to Miss Crucial Club World Cup Debut

Real Madrid have officially announced that Kylian Mbappé has been admitted to hospital following a diagnosis of gastroenteritis.

The French striker was absent from training sessions leading up to Madrid's Club World Cup opening match and consequently missed the 1–1 tie against Al Hilal, where young talent Gonzalo García stepped in as his replacement and netted the opening goal.

While Mbappé's condition was originally reported as a fever, Madrid have now disclosed that the France international is receiving medical care for gastroenteritis at a hospital facility.

"Our player Kylian Mbappé has acute gastroenteritis and has been hospitalized for various tests and treatment," the brief official statement declared.

MARCA reports that Mbappé started experiencing illness symptoms on Monday and was too weak to venture out of his hotel accommodation in subsequent days, with Madrid management isolating him from the team to minimize contagion risks.

Regrettably, Mbappé displayed minimal signs of natural recovery, prompting the decision to admit the 26-year-old to hospital for enhanced medical care.

"He's been in a bad way the last two days," manager Xabi Alonso acknowledged following the Al Hilal match. "He's been dealing with a serious viral infection."

It appears highly unlikely that Mbappé will be available for Madrid's encounter with Pachuca on Sunday, though there remains optimism he could return for the final group fixture against Red Bull Salzburg on June 27.

Consequently, García is anticipated to maintain his starting position as the squad's sole natural striker.