Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe is struggling to be fit for the Clasico clash with Barcelona next month due to the hamstring injury that forced him to come off against Real Betis on Friday night.
The France captain has struggled for full fitness in recent weeks, mostly with a knee problem, but his left hamstring is now giving cause for concern.
Madrid have not put a timeframe on his recovery but Spanish newspaper AS claim his availability for the trip to Camp Nou on May 10 is in serious doubt.
A club statement this morning confirmed the 27-year-old was struggling. It read: “Following the tests carried out today on our player Kylian Mbappé by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg.”
Mbappe injury another setback for injury-hit Real Madrid
Mbappe has scored 47 goals for Madrid in all competitions this season and his loss for what could be a title-defining game is another huge blow for Madrid, who are already without defender Eder Militao and playmaker Arda Guler for the remainder of the season.
The weekend draw with Betis, and Barca’s win at Getafe, saw Madrid fall 11 points behind Hansi Flick’s side at the top of the table with five games to go. Assuming the two title contenders win their respective matches this weekend, Barcelona visit Osasuna while Madrid go to Espanyol, then the Catalans will be able to claim the crown at home to Madrid in week 35.
That is a nightmare scenario for Madrid, whose coach Alvaro Arbeloa is likely to leave the club at the end of the season.
Reports in Spain have also suggested Militao could miss the World Cup due to his hamstring injury.
Marca state the Brazil international has opted for surgery to rectify the problem, and will go under the knife in Finland this week.
The expected recovery time is around five months, meaning he will miss the global showpiece this summer in the United States, Canada and Mexico and potentially the start of the next Liga season.
