Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has said it is too soon to determine whether Kylian Mbappe will be in the starting lineup for their Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The match is scheduled to take place in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Mbappe recently recovered from gastroenteritis, which had sidelined him. He made his first appearance in the tournament as a substitute in the match against Juventus, where Real Madrid secured a 1-0 victory to advance to the quarter-finals.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Mbappe is eager to reclaim his spot in Real Madrid's starting XI and has been demonstrating his determination during training sessions. The report notes that he even engaged in a competitive exchange with coach Xabi Alonso, signaling his desire to start. Despite being one of the team's biggest stars, Mbappe has played a secondary role to academy graduate Gonzalo Garcia, who has started all four matches and has impressed with his performance.
Sports Mole suggests that Alonso might opt for a 3-5-2 formation, potentially pairing Mbappe with Vinicius Junior in the attack. In this scenario, Arda Guler could support them, possibly resulting in Garcia and Rodrygo starting on the bench.
Alonso faces a decision on whether to stick with Garcia, who has proven his merit, or give Mbappe his first start. Alonso has emphasized that performance outweighs status when making team selections.
Aside from the forward position, the rest of the lineup is expected to remain largely unchanged. Antonio Rudiger, recently recovered from injury, is likely to be favored over Asencio in defense. Alonso is expected to continue with his preferred 3-5-2 system.
Real Madrid is also monitoring yellow card accumulation, as both Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are one booking away from suspension. A yellow card against Dortmund would mean either player would miss the semi-final. FIFA regulations stipulate that bookings are cleared after the semi-finals, but suspensions remain in place.
Possible Real Madrid starting lineup (according to Sports Mole): Courtois; Rudiger, Tchouameni, Huijsen; Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Valverde, Guler, Garcia; Mbappe, Vinicius.
Bundesliga reports a possible Real Madrid lineup: Courtois - Rüdiger, Tchouaméni, Huijsen - Alexander-Arnold, Bellingham, Valverde (c), Güler, Fran García - Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior.
Other players who are out include Alaba (muscle), Camavinga (tendon), Endrick (hamstring), and Mendy (muscle).
