Positive Update on Kylian Mbappe, but One Player a Major Doubt for Manchester City Clash
After a positive La Liga win against Elche, focus shifts back to the Champions League for Real Madrid. They head to the Etihad holding a 3-0 lead after the first leg of the round of 16 tie.
Despite missing several key players in the first leg, Los Blancos put in one of the best performances of the season, with Fede Valverde scoring a fantastic hat-trick of goals in the first half. Kylian Mbappe, Alvaro Carreras, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo were all missing, and many had City as their favorite.
The French striker has been sensational this season, but a knee injury has meant he has missed the last four games. However, a report from Miguel Ángel Díaz suggests he could travel with the squad to Manchester.
Kylian Mbappe Could Feature vs Manchester City
Journalist Miguel Ángel Díaz spoke on Tiempo de Juego and said he expects Kylian Mbappe to travel with the squad to face Manchester City on March 17. The Frenchman has been working hard to return from a knee issue and appears to be in a good place.
Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa spoke before the Elche game, confirming Mbappe would not be available. However, he did say he was doing everything possible to be on the plane for the second leg of the Champions League.
If he does indeed make the trip, he may not start the game due to the situation they are in. Leading 3-0, there is no need to risk the 27-year-old. Arbeloa may see how the game progresses, and if things are heading south, then he may come on. He also may still get some minutes, with Atletico Madrid at the weekend.
At the same time, there is concern over center-back Raul Asencio, who is still suffering from a calf issue. The 23-year-old missed the game against Elche, with Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rudiger starting.
The two mentioned would likely start the second leg, but it gives Arbeloa less experience to call upon if needed against Manchester City. David Alaba and Eder Militao are both out, with the latter still not ready to return despite participating in team training again.
It was 19-year-old Diego Aguado who replaced Rudiger in the 62nd minute, giving the German some rest before the big game. If anything were to go wrong, he could start the game, although midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni could drop back if needed. However, it's not something the coach likes to do.
-031bbeb5612ca252e2129722373fa56d.png "Jordan Merritt")
Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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