Real Madrid Duo Set to Miss Copa Del Rey Clash
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It's safe to say that, even by Real Madrid standards, the last few days have been an absolute whirlwind.
On Sunday evening, the team lost the Supercopa de España 3-2 to arch-rivals Barcelona over in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This was followed by the shock news on Monday evening that the club had sacked Xabi Alonso as manager, just six months into his three-year contract.
That's not all, either. Amidst the chaos, Brahim Diaz became the first player to score in the first five games of an AFCON tournament since 1968 (30 editions ago), with his Morocco side set to take on Nigeria in the semi-final tonight.
Meanwhile, Endrick made his debut for Lyon in the Coupe de France away to Lille, starting on the right wing and scoring the winner late on in the first half. After PSG's shock exit last night, there is a real chance for the Real Madrid loanee to win some silverware this season.
Nevertheless, there is no rest for the wicked, as Real Madrid are back in action as quickly as tomorrow evening, where they will take on second-tier side Albacete in the Copa Del Rey round of 16, for Alvaro Arbeloa's first game in charge of the first team.
Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo out of Copa del Rey match
As a result, Arbeloa will want to field a strong side to make sure he gets off to a good start, regardless of the opponent. However, it looks like there will be two selection choices completely out of his control.
Indeed, as journalist Alberto Pereiro is reporting, both Rodrygo and Kylian Mbappe are set to miss this clash. He did not specify the type of injuries (nor if they are injuries at all, but we can assume as much), just that they will be unavailable for the game.
All being well, Real Madrid will hope to progress regardless, before having both players available for the La Liga clash at home to Levante on Saturday afternoon. However, it asks one particular question.
Was Mbappe rushed back for the Supercopa de España? It was a shock for most to see that he travelled to Jeddah for the final. Early this month, reports suggested the Frenchman would be out for three weeks. Yet, not even two weeks later, he was making a cameo halfway across the world.
If he were, then perhaps he may well miss the game against Levante - and maybe even more games. But let's see. As for Rodrygo, it is hard to tell. Let's hope that both are back, and properly back, 100% and not rushed, as soon as possible.
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Tom Vinall is a sports writer covering Real Madrid On SI. Previously, he had worked at FanSided as both a contributor and site expert, covering the likes of Spurs and Bayern Munich. He has also previously written for Transfer News Live. Tom was born and lives in Bristol, South West England, and loves to listen to music as well as learning Spanish.
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