Real Madrid has announced the list of 24 players flying to Jeddah to prepare for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final match against Atletico Madrid on January 9. Notably, Kylian Mbappe continues to be absent, extending a series of days without playing after also not participating in the most recent match against Real Betis in La Liga last weekend.
According to Los Blancos' announcement, the French striker has not yet recovered from a left knee sprain and will stay in Madrid for further treatment. However, Spanish media said that if he recovers in time, the 27-year-old star can still fly to Saudi Arabia to attend the final, in case Alonso's team overcomes Atletico.
Mbappe has had physical problems since December 7th last year, in the match against Celta Vigo, before missing the match against Man City three days later. He returned on December 15th and scored in the 2-1 victory over Alaves.
Mbappe continued to shine in Real's last two matches in 2025 - respectively against Talavera in the Copa del Rey and Sevilla in La Liga. 3 goals in this period helped him equal the milestone of 59 goals in a calendar year of Cristiano Ronaldo.
In the training session on December 30th at Valdebebas, Mbappe showed signs of pain in his left knee and the very next day Real confirmed that he had a sprain. Since then, Alonso has always waited until the last minute before each match to assess the ability to use this key striker.
Mbappe's continued absence from the Super Cup semi-finals opens up opportunities for Gonzalo Garcia - the 21-year-old striker who just scored a hat-trick from just three shots in the match Real destroyed Betis 5-1. It is likely that Alonso will continue to place his trust in Garcia as the center forward when facing Atletico.
Except in 2021, after the Spanish Super Cup switched to a four-team format from 2020, the tournament was held in Saudi Arabia. Real Madrid vs Atletico is the second semi-final, while the first semi-final is the confrontation between Barcelona - Athletic Bilbao on January 8.
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