The efforts could not be higher. Real Madrid’s La Liga title Hope hanging at a threadTheir Champions League dream has just been crushed on Bernabeu, and now, In the most crucial of the seasonIt will be without their brightest star. When Los Blancos prepares to host the Athletic Club in a must-win-showdown on Santiago Bernabeu, Kylian Mbappe’s absence can leave many scraping of the head. Is he resting? Is it an internal decision? Damage? Or something completely different?
Madrid’s heartbrek in mid -week came in the hands of Arsenal, who stunned the Spanish giants with a 2-1 victory in the other legturns them out of the Champions League 5-1 on aggregate. For a club full of European glory, an early quarter -final output was a brutal blow.
And now, as if that wasn’t enough, They find four points for league leaders Barcelonawith only seven matches left to close the gap. Worse yet is that Barça has been undefeated in La Liga throughout 2025 – An ominous album Madrid is desperate after breaking.
In domestic competition, Los Blancos still has Copa del Rey to play for, but they will meet – who else – Barcelona in the final. The match, which is struggling at the end of April, may be their last shot at Silverware.
For a team in need of a reaction one might expect their biggest weapon to be front and mine. But when Madrid prepares to face fourth placed athletic bilbaoa team undefeated in eight matches, Mbappe is nowhere to see On the squad list. “Kylian will not be available this weekend. There is the red card from last week, and now he also has a fitness problem. It’s a bit of both, ” Ancelotti revealed at his press conference before the match. “We carefully monitor his recovery.”
Double problem: red card and a twisted ankle
The original cause of Mbappes absence derived from last weekend’s match against AlavesWhere the Frenchman was shown a red card for a reckless, bounce-up challenge on midfielder Antonio Blanco. Although blanco fled without injury, tackling drew immediate criticismand Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) issued a match with a match.
Surprisingly the penalty was no longer out – only a game on the side line. He would return to mid -week collision against Getafe, followed by the Copa del Rey final. But then came another twist.
Late in the Arsenal match on WednesdayMbappe suffered an ankle injury during a heavy collision. It was not picked up directly, but by Thursday morning, club doctors had flagged swelling and ligament tribe.
Now the Frenchman is set to miss not only the Bilbao match due to shutdownBut probably also the Getafe game due to the injury. His return for El Clasico -final on April 26 remains unsure.
Barcelona looms on all fronts
With the Spanish Super Cup already lost to Barcelona earlier this season, The whites face the real opportunity to be denied all three domestic trophies of their hardest rivals. If they don’t win La Liga and lose Copa del Rey final, Barcelona was able to complete a domestic treble at Madrid’s expense.
For Ancelotti and his men, Each match is a final now. There is no room for dropped points – not with Blaugrana four points ahead and cruises.
