MUST-WIN: KYLIAN MBAPPE RETURNS AS XABI ALONSO FACES REAL MADRID FUTURE DECIDER VS ALAVES
Xabi Alonso's job hinges on the Alaves result. With eight players out, the return of Kylian Mbappé is the only relief in a squad plagued by injuries and leadership questions.
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso has confirmed that Kylian Mbappe is ready to play against Alaves this coming Sunday night. Many think this game could decide Alonso’s future with the team. Real Madrid will go to Vitoria-Gasteiz missing at least eight players.
Mbappe is the guy Alonso is happiest to have back after he sat out the match against Manchester City. He practiced like normal this Saturday.
“He’s good to go. “We’ll make a choice tomorrow, but it’s great to have him back,” said Alonso.
More players out for Real Madrid
Alonso didn’t say anything about Fede Valverde, Antonio Rudiger, or Dean Huijsen, who are also questionable. Alvaro Carreras, Fran Garcia, and Endrick Felipe are out because they got red cards against Celta Vigo.
“We have three players suspended; that's part of the game. We don’t have many players available, so we added some Castilla players to the squad. They always come through. We'll go with who's ready for tomorrow.”
After Real Madrid’s loss to Manchester City, Karim Benzema said that his old team was missing teamwork and leadership. Alonso said that the current problems could be a good thing if they get through them.
“We’re together every day in the locker room. We’ve had good times and bad times. We think we can get better if we get through these tough times and turn things around. Maybe later we’ll look back and see how hard it was, but here we are. Karim has the experience to make those calls.”
Alvaro Arbeloa: The next Real Madrid coach?
Alonso was asked a lot about his future. Local news has said that if he gets fired, Castilla coach and his friend Alvaro Arbeloa might take over. They were seen talking at Real Madrid’s training ground, but Alonso said it wasn’t a handover.
“Alvaro could be Real Madrid’s coach someday. He’s doing great. We talked about which players might join the first team. But we didn’t talk about me leaving at all.”
THIBAUT COURTOIS CLEARED TO START EL CLáSICO AFTER RECOVERING FROM INJURY
Thibaut Courtois will return for Real Madrid in Sunday's El Clásico, but Ferland Mendy is sidelined for five months with an injury.
Looks like Thibaut Courtois is finally set to make his return for Real Madrid in Sunday’s El Clásico, which would be his first match since March 17. Courtois injured his thigh during the Champions League clash with Manchester City and hasn’t played since. Madrid really missed him; they managed just one clean sheet in eight games while he was out.
Now, with the trip to Camp Nou right around the corner, Courtois is back at just the right time. According to MARCA, he’ll start against Barcelona unless something unexpected happens between now and then. He trained with the squad on Monday and looks ready to reclaim his spot from Andriy Lunin, who’s had a tough couple of months and faced a fair share of criticism. If Courtois starts, he’ll notch his 330th appearance for the club.
But here’s the problem: while Arbeloa gets a major boost in goals, his squad is still missing key players. Arda Güler, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Rodrygo, and maybe even Kylian Mbappé remain sidelined, so Madrid are still far from full strength for this crucial match on May 10.
Ferland Mendy joins the injury list too after picking up a muscle issue in the 2–0 win over Espanyol. He only lasted 14 minutes before coming off, and further tests showed a hamstring injury bad enough that ESPN says he could be out for up to five months, possibly needing surgery.
That one really hurts since Mendy had played so well lately, especially against Savinho and Michael Olise in the Champions League. To make things even more complicated, Álvaro Carreras seems to have dropped down Arbeloa’s pecking order, so Fran García is expected to fill in at left back on Sunday.
Now, about the title race. Barcelona sit 11 points clear at the top, so the La Liga title is basically theirs. Madrid already swallowed the bitter pill of losing out to their biggest rivals for a second straight season, but two things could still make this sting even more. First, they dodged the humiliation of being forced to give Barcelona a guard of honour at the Camp Nou. Madrid’s win over Espanyol last weekend stopped that from happening.
But here’s what Madrid really wants to avoid: Barcelona celebrating the title in front of them on Sunday. The math is simple: if Barça earn even a draw, they clinch the league. The only way Madrid can delay the inevitable is by taking all three points and spoiling the party at least for another week.
WHY DID REAL MADRID CHOOSE TO KEEP ENDRICK DESPITE MASSIVE PREMIER LEAGUE INTEREST?
After a stellar loan at Lyon, Endrick will return to Real Madrid this summer alongside Jacobo Ramón to form a new youth core.
Real Madrid has zero plans to let Endrick leave this summer. That’s what we’re hearing, even with Arsenal and Chelsea knocking on their door. We’ve also got some updates on Jacobo Ramon’s future.
Endrick is finishing his loan at Lyon on a high note. He’s put up seven goals and seven assists in just 18 games, and people are excited about what he could do long-term.
The 19-year-old forward from Brazil wanted more game time after struggling for chances with Xabi Alonso in charge at Madrid, so he pushed for a loan. Now, with Alonso gone, Endrick’s focused on forcing his way into Brazil’s World Cup squad, and honestly, the way he’s been playing lately, he’s making a strong argument.
Big clubs are paying attention. Arsenal and Chelsea have both checked in recently to see if Madrid would be open to a deal for him this summer.
But Madrid’s answer? No chance. They’ve told both clubs straight up: Endrick’s coming back to the Bernabéu, and he’s in their first-team plans for next season.
Endrick’s on board with that, too. He wants to stay and fight for a spot, a real chance to prove himself as a regular in Madrid’s lineup.
Florentino Perez backs him all the way; he still believes Endrick is the best young talent out there. The club isn’t about to change its mind.
Endrick’s not the only Madrid youth getting attention from the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea have also been checking in about Jacobo Ramon, the young centre-back playing for Como in Italy right now.
Ramon’s been playing alongside Nico Paz under Cesc Fabregas and has done well. Even though he moved from Madrid to Como last summer, Madrid made sure to keep buy-back and sell-on clauses, so it’s almost like he’s still a Madrid player on loan.
Now, the plan is for Ramon to return to Madrid this summer with Endrick and Paz. The club’s looking to keep its young core together and build the future around them.
Lots of clubs are watching Ramon; more than six want to sign him. But honestly, Madrid’s stance is pretty clear: just like with Endrick, they aren’t budging.
So for Arsenal, Chelsea, and anyone else hoping to swoop in, the message is simple. Madrid is keeping their best young talents. They’re not letting them go.
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