Mbappe Injury Bombshell Rocks Real Madrid Hours Before Epic Man City Showdown

Kylian Mbappé was absent from Real Madrid's concluding practice session ahead of Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Manchester City, a match being described as crucial for his embattled coach Xabi Alonso.

The French striker appeared to be nursing a knock during Sunday's disappointing performance against Celta Vigo, but persevered through discomfort to complete the entire match. Mbappé nearly secured what could have been a leveling strike with a clever chip that sailed just over the goal frame.

However, as has frequently occurred this campaign, when Mbappé doesn't find the back of the net, Real Madrid struggle too, suffering a disorganized 2–0 loss in their much-anticipated homecoming to the Santiago Bernabéu.

The French international has been held scoreless in only six of his 21 outings this term, with Madrid managing victories in just two of those uncommon instances. Indeed, Alonso's squad hasn't registered a goal that wasn't either set up or finished by their number 10 across their previous four fixtures.

There's genuine worry that the Spanish giants may be compelled to break that reliance against City following Mbappé's absence from Tuesday's public training due to a knee problem. MARCA label his participation as "highly questionable" and caution that even should the prolific attacker manage to take the field, "his effectiveness would be severely compromised."

France's skipper might well be accompanied on the treatment table by fellow countryman Eduardo Camavinga, who sustained an ankle injury versus Athletic Club recently.

Alonso's Future Hangs in the Balance at Real Madrid

Beyond the concerns regarding Mbappé's availability, the dominant narrative surrounding Wednesday's European showdown involves growing speculation about Alonso's unstable situation. BBC Sport joins numerous media sources in essentially framing the Manchester City match as a decisive encounter for the Real Madrid manager's job security.

Alonso maintains his composure amid this increasing conjecture—and Aurélien Tchouaméni certainly supported his manager, stating: "The coach prepared us well tactically, but we players are responsible for our performance on the field."

The challenge for Alonso is that several of his most crucial players might be unavailable against City. Beyond the setback of losing Mbappé, Real Madrid learned they'll be without essential center-back Éder Militão through April. Additional defenders Dean Huijsen, David Alaba, Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy are also sidelined.

Álvaro Carreras and Fran García will thankfully be eligible to play as league suspensions don't transfer to European competitions, though this merely postpones their defensive personnel shortage until the following weekend, when Alonso himself might need to dust off his playing boots—assuming he still holds his position by then.