Mbappe Set for Explosive Reunion as Real Madrid Face Former Club PSG in Club World Cup Showdown

FIFA chief Gianni Infantino described his restructured Club World Cup as a revolutionary "big bang" moment for football, featuring elite players and teams battling to crown the planet's premier club.

Yet one of the tournament's marquee stars expected to shine this summer has largely remained on the sidelines. A severe case of gastroenteritis kept Kylian Mbappé completely out of Real Madrid's initial three matches.

He made his debut as a substitute against Juventus in the knockout round, then truly announced his presence with a spectacular overhead goal late in the match versus Borussia Dortmund, propelling Los Blancos into the final four.

"Good way to show that I feel better now..." Mbappé wrote on Instagram following the match, featuring a photo of his strike past Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel. The French star is pushing to start from the beginning against European titleholders Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, but will Xabi Alonso adjust his approach?

Will Kylian Mbappé Start vs. PSG in Club World Cup Semifinals?

The new Madrid manager has adopted a 3-5-2 formation since the third match, though Alonso has emphasized that tactical setups matter less than fundamental playing principles. Without Mbappé available, Vinicíus Júnior has partnered closely with 21-year-old striker Gonzalo García, who has emerged as perhaps the tournament's breakout star.

García sits atop the goal-scoring leaderboard this summer with four strikes, and another goal would likely secure him the Golden Boot trophy. Following Mbappé's recovery from illness, García netted the decisive goal against Juventus in the round of 16 and opened the scoring versus Dortmund.

His manager has drawn parallels between him and Madrid legend Raúl Gonzalez, though Alonso has indicated Mbappé will likely start Wednesday's match if he demonstrates full fitness. "Mbappé is still not in perfect shape," the Madrid manager stated after the quarterfinal. "He's not at 100%. Now we have three days for him to fully recover for the PSG game."

Having netted a club-record 44 goals for Los Blancos in his inaugural campaign, Mbappé undoubtedly belongs in Alonso's preferred starting eleven, despite potentially disrupting the team chemistry Madrid has developed without him.

Should the former PSG star return to face his previous team, García would likely be benched. It would represent a bold decision from Alonso to substitute Vini Jr for Mbappé, even though García has outshone him during their time in the United States this summer.