Xabi Alonso Breaks Silence on Mbappe's Fitness Concerns as Real Madrid Face Growing Pressure

Real Madrid's head coach Xabi Alonso has indicated there's a "strong chance" that Kylian Mbappé will participate in the match against Juventus during the Club World Cup's knockout phase opening round, though determining his position within the revamped tactical system presents one of several "obstacles" for the manager.

Alonso's revitalized team aims to prevent the embarrassment that befell Manchester City when they were eliminated in the round of 16. Although it wouldn't match the shock value of Al Hilal's victory, Madrid enters Tuesday's encounter with Juventus as the preferred side.

Their prospects of advancing to the quarter-finals might receive a boost from Mbappé's inaugural tournament appearance. The French striker was admitted to hospital following an acute gastroenteritis diagnosis before resuming practice last week.

Alonso chose not to gamble with his attacker in the concluding group match versus RB Salzburg, but may have the opportunity to deploy him for the first time this week. "Kylian's condition has improved and we maintain daily communication," the Spanish manager informed reporters on Monday.

"We'll discuss with him tomorrow morning before making our final choice. There's a strong likelihood he'll make his Club World Cup debut in tomorrow's game. I'm uncertain about his playing time, but the possibility is significant."

Should Alonso maintain the flexible 3-5-2 system that proved so effective against Salzburg, the natural position for Mbappé would be partnering Vinícius Júnior in attack. However, this arrangement would displace academy product Gonzalo García, whose unselfish work rate has impressed Alonso to the extent that he's allegedly declined the opportunity to acquire another forward.

The possibility of Mbappé and Vinícius spearheading the attack presents an exciting scenario when Madrid possesses the ball, though their underwhelming defensive pressing might face examination against an experienced Juventus squad.

"We've been working together for three weeks now," Alonso observed. "I'm energized and enthusiastic, but there are numerous aspects requiring management—players, staff members, all built on confidence for what lies ahead.

"Our extended time together is accelerating our development process. The experience has been quite demanding so far. With such a compressed, high-intensity tournament, establishing our core philosophy proves challenging. We're forming relationships during these initial phases, but we've reached a point where execution is required tomorrow."