1 year ago
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Mark OgdenJun 30, 2025, 06:35 PM ET
Kylian Mbappé is adjacent to making his FIFA Club World Cup debut successful Real Madrid's circular of 16 clash against Juventus astatine the Club World Cup, with manager Xabi Alonso saying it is simply a "big possibility" that the guardant volition beryllium acceptable to play.
Mbappe, 26, was forced to miss each 3 of Madrid's radical games -- against Al Hilal, Pachuca and RB Salzburg -- aft being diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis connected the eve of the tournament.
Madrid reached the knockout stages by topping Group H to publication their brushwood with Italian giants Juventus astatine Hard Rock Stadium successful Miami Gardens and Alonso is assured that France planetary Mbappe volition yet beryllium capable to play.
"Kylian is doing good present and we are speaking each azygous day," Alonso told reporters. "We volition speech to him successful the greeting to marque the last decision.
"It's a large anticipation that helium makes his Club World Cup debut tomorrow, though. I don't cognize however much, but it's a large possibility."
Having replaced Carlo Ancelotti arsenic manager astatine the extremity of the 2024-25 season, Alonso is little than a period into his caller relation astatine Madrd aft leaving Bayer Leverkusen. And the erstwhile Madrid, Liverpool and Bayern Munich midfielder said that his occupation starts for existent connected Tuesday with the "all oregon nothing" Juventus game.
"Every azygous lucifer is present each oregon nothing," Alonso said. "It's a immense lucifer and we person been prepping for the past fewer weeks to beryllium acceptable for tomorrow.
"We are astatine the knockout signifier now, past 16 against a apical squad similar Juve, truthful we volition person to person a precise implicit show to spell through.
"This lucifer is important. It's a precise antithetic contention to those we usually play in, but Real Madrid is precise demanding and you are expected to win.
"This is our 3rd week together. I americium pumped, precise excited, but determination are truthful galore things that you person to negociate - footballers, truthful galore people, based connected spot for the future.
"We are spending a batch of clip together, truthful that's helping america velocity up the process. So acold it has been precise challenging. With specified an aggravated contention successful a abbreviated time, to beryllium capable to physique our principles, it's challenging.
"We are gathering connections successful these aboriginal stages, but we are reaching a infinitesimal wherever we person to bash it tomorrow."
Juventus manager Igor Tudor has said helium hopes Real's Luka Modric continues to "have amusive astatine 40" up of what could beryllium the midfielder's last crippled for the club.
Modric volition permission Madrid for AC Milan aft the Club World Cup and Tudor, a erstwhile Croatia teammate of Modric, said helium lone has emotion for the erstwhile Ballon d'Or winner.
"What tin you accidental astir Luka?" Tudor said. "We person little than 4 cardinal radical successful Croatia, truthful a idiosyncratic similar him brings a batch of pridefulness for the country. He is simply a subordinate that you each see, but helium is conscionable a mean person. He represents our state successful the champion imaginable way.
"I emotion him and I anticipation helium volition support having fun, adjacent though helium is present 40."
