Xabi Alonso Drops Major Hints About Gonzalo Garcia-Kylian Mbappe Selection for Crucial Club World Cup Semifinal
Xabi Alonso suggested that Kylian Mbappé could be given the starting position for the FIFA Club World Cup semifinal clash with Paris Saint-Germain, provided he can demonstrate his fitness recovery in time.
Following his absence from Real Madrid's complete group stage campaign due to hospitalization for acute gastroenteritis, Mbappé returned to action as a substitute during the round of 16 victory against Juventus.
Questions persisted regarding his physical condition ahead of the quarterfinal encounter with Borussia Dortmund, leading to the French forward once again beginning the match from the substitutes' bench.
Nevertheless, it was Mbappé's spectacular overhead kick during injury time that sealed the victory for Los Blancos and secured their progression to the semifinals—where defending European champions PSG await after their own quarterfinal triumph over Bayern Munich.
With an impressive tally of 44 goals and rising in his inaugural season at Real Madrid, Mbappé clearly deserves a place in the strongest starting eleven. Alonso acknowledged following the Dortmund encounter that his star striker hasn't reached peak condition yet, though the medical team will work to achieve this during the week.
Should Mbappé be unavailable for the starting lineup, the alternative would be Gonzalo García, who has performed exceptionally well this summer—the 21-year-old netted his fourth Club World Cup goal in the match against Dortmund.
"He has seized his chance once more," Alonso commented about García. "He has found the net 25 times for Castilla. He is exactly where he should be. We are pleased with his contributions.
"Mbappé hasn't reached optimal condition yet. He's not operating at full capacity. We now have three days to ensure his complete recovery for the PSG encounter," the manager explained.
García's impressive performances have been so remarkable that Real Madrid are allegedly abandoning plans to sign a new backup forward. Osasuna's veteran striker Ante Budimir was among the potential candidates, with the intention of recreating the impact that Joselu provided during the 2023–24 campaign. However, García might now assume that responsibility and allow the club to allocate transfer funds to other areas of the squad.