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WHY XABI ALONSO IS KEEPING KYLIAN MBAPPE’S ACTUAL RETURN DATE A COMPLETE MYSTERY

Kylian Mbappe and Dean Huijsen are major doubts for Real Madrid vs Real Betis. Get the latest injury news from Xabi Alonso’s camp.

Why Xabi Alonso is keeping Kylian Mbappe’s actual return date a complete mystery
Mbappe missed the open training session

Xabi Alonso didn’t want to pin down exactly when Kylian Mbappe will be back on the pitch. Mbappe twisted his knee in training this week, and now nobody’s sure when he’ll return. To make matters worse, Dean Huijsen, who’s already been dealing with knee problems, is a doubt for the Real Betis match at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon.

Mbappe had to stop during Real Madrid’s traditional end-of-year open training. It looks like he’ll miss the Spanish Supercup semi-final against Atletico Madrid, and probably the final too, if they get there.

Alonso kept it vague when asked for updates. “We’re going to take it down to the deadline,” he said. “It’s about how he feels. We want him back as soon as possible. When is that? Good question. I don’t know. The Super Cup? We’ll see…”

Someone asked if Mbappe’s injury was just bad luck or something they could’ve prevented, especially since he also missed the Manchester City game a few weeks back. Alonso replied, “After each match, we assess the situation and make decisions. Now we’ll see. We need to monitor his progress and do everything we can to get him back soon.”

As for Dean Huijsen, the big news from Valdebebas on Saturday was his absence from training. He’s been struggling with knee troubles for a while, in and out of the lineup. Alonso didn’t rule him out for Betis, but it looks more likely that Antonio Rudiger and Raul Asencio will start at center-back. “He felt some discomfort, and we wanted to be a little cautious. We’ll decide tomorrow.”

On a brighter note, there’s hope that Captain Dani Carvajal will return soon. Earlier reports said he probably wouldn’t play against Betis, but he’s pushing to be fit for the Supercup. Alonso couldn’t help but praise him. “He was able to train the whole session. We’ll decide on the squad tomorrow morning. Every club needs players who carry weight, not just for what they do on the pitch but for how they handle tough times. Carva is one of those guys.”

“His personality and influence are huge. We really missed him these last two months, and now we want to help him get back to top form. Honestly, just having him back already makes a difference.”

REAL MADRID BATTLE LIVERPOOL FOR AZ ALKMAAR'S €75M SENSATION KEES SMIT

Real Madrid are ready to hijack Liverpool's move for Kees Smit while eyeing Roma's Wesley França to replace Dani Carvajal in 2026.

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Will Real Madrid actually break their frugal spending habits in 2026?

Real Madrid is gearing up to spend big on a talented midfielder, Arne Slot hopes to bring to Liverpool, while also searching for a right-back who can challenge Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The club has moved into the post-Xabi Alonso era with Alvaro Arbeloa as interim manager, and no one’s sure yet who’ll take over next season. Still, Madridise working behind the scenes, planning for the summer transfer window. One name at the top of their list: Kees Smit, AZ Alkmaar’s 20-year-old midfield sensation who’s been lighting up the Eredivisie.

Back in December, we reported that Liverpool is serious about signing Smit in 2026. Slot, a long-time admirer, has followed Smit’s career from early on. But Madrid ais alreadyto make their own move, and Fabrizio Romano has confirmed this interest.

AZ aren’t backing down, either. They want a club-record fee much higher than the €25m they got for Tijjani Reijnders when he left for AC Milan last year. Romano says Smit’s future is in the hands of super-agent Jorge Mendes, and the competition is fierce.

“Jorge Mendes is in control. Real Madrid want him, and so do several Premier League clubs. It’s going to be a huge battle,” Romano said. “AZ and Smit will have a crazy summer. Forty to forty-five million euros won’t be enough. It’ll take big money to get him.”

Graeme Bailey, our insider, shared in December that AZ are already asking for more than €60m for Smit. Some in the Netherlands expect the fee to get close to the €75m Barcelona paid for De Jong back in 2019.

Switching gears, Madrid is also eyeing Roma right-back Wesley Franca. Dani Carvajal, now 34, isn’t expected to renew his contract, so Madrid needs a replacement. Alexander-Arnold hasn’t made the impact they hoped for since joining from Liverpool, so they want real competition at right-back.

Spanish reports say Madrid are ready to offer around €35m for Wesley if Carvajal leaves. Wesley joined Roma last summer and has already shown he can contribute at both ends, with three Serie A goals so far.

IT’S OVER: REAL MADRID OFFICIALLY KILL THE SUPERLEAGUE WITH A HISTORIC UEFA DEAL

The Superleague is dead. Real Madrid has struck a peace deal with UEFA, ending years of legal battles and breakaway threats.

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Real Madrid joins Barcelona in abandoning the breakaway league

Real Madrid has finally closed the door on the Super League. They struck a deal with UEFA to end the competition for good.

This news comes just four days after Barcelona made it official that they were out, too. For a long time, everyone kind of knew it was coming, but now it’s real. When the Super League first launched, there were 12 clubs on board. That number dropped fast. Soon, only three clubs stuck around, and for the past few years, it’s just been Real Madrid and Barcelona keeping the idea on life support.

Not long ago, in November, Florentino Perez was still out there fighting for the Super League. At the start of this season, A22 (the company organising it all) even pitched a new format with plans to kick off in August 2026. But on Wednesday afternoon, Real Madrid released a statement:

UEFA, European football clubs, and Real Madrid CF have agreed on principles they say will help European club football. They talk about sporting merit, long-term sustainability for clubs, and making things better for fans, especially with new tech. The statement also says this agreement should finally settle all those legal fights about the Super Leaguefans, once everything’s in place.

So, that’s it. The Super League is done. It’s the end of a wild, chaotic chapter in European football. Real Madrid, who really pushed the whole project, actually got some of what they wanted; they forced UEFA to think about money, bigger games, and ways to keep the top teams involved longer. But UEFA still holds the purse strings. The Super League wanted the clubs to control the cash, plus they had big plans for streaming: free-to-air games, paid subscriptions, the whole lot. Now, that’s all history.

And that massive €4.7 billion lawsuit Madrid threatened UEFA with? Looks like that’s over, too. Unlike the English clubs, Barcelona and Real Madrid seem to have dodged the fines UEFA handed out in the early days. So, in the end, the Super League fades away, and European football moves on.

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