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Alex Kirkland
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Rodrigo Faez
Dec 17, 2024, 11:33 AM ET
Carlo Ancelotti has said he’s “optimistic” about Kylian Mbappé‘s recovery from injury ahead of the Intercontinental Cup final.
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Mbappé flew to Doha, Qatar on Monday with his teammates for Wednesday’s game, which will see 2024 Champions League winners Madrid take on CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Pachuca of Mexico at Luhail Stadium.
The star forward was thought to be out of action for around 10 days after suffering a thigh injury in Madrid’s 3-2 Champions League victory at Atalanta, but his progress has been better than expected.
“Mbappé’s situation is simple,” Ancelotti said in a news conference in Doha on Tuesday. “He trained well yesterday, he felt good. He did sprints. It all went well.
“Training today is important. If he feels good, without risks, talking to him and the doctors, he’ll play. If there’s the slightest risk, obviously, he won’t. The feeling yesterday was very good. We’re optimistic in that sense.”
Mbappé has faced criticism for his performances for Madrid so far since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but has still scored 12 goals in all competitions, with four of those goals coming in the last month.
“Mbappé is a fantastic player and honestly I don’t think he’s reached his level [yet],” Ancelotti said. “In the last games he was at a good level, but we’re really happy to have him here.”
Kylian Mbappé has been training well ahead of Real Madrid’s Intercontinental Cup Final against Pachuca. Yasser Bakhsh – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Madrid’s season has been hit by a string of injuries to senior players, with defenders Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão out for the season.
“The schedule is obviously a big talking point,” midfielder Jude Bellingham said on Tuesday, when asked about the cause. “Everyone loves playing games, but it does take a toll on your body. At some point it starts to affect your performance.”
Bellingham didn’t score for Madrid this season until mid-November, but has found the net seven times in eight games since then.
“In the last few games, I’ve got myself into those areas a bit more where I can attack the goal,” Bellingham said. “I want to continue doing that, it can help the team to win games.”
Madrid’s defensive injury crisis has led to speculation that they’ll look to make a January signing — with sources telling ESPN the club are considering entering the market — but Ancelotti said there’s been no decision yet.
“Not yet, no,” Ancelotti said. “For now we want to get to Christmas, we’ll try to win this game, beat Sevilla [on Sunday], and then rest. And in January we’ll see.”
