Kylian Mbappe will not feature for Real Madrid in tonight's El Clasico against Barcelona, as the striker has been left out of Alvaro Arbeloa's squad. The 27-year-old has faced intense criticism from Madrid supporters after choosing to go on a yacht holiday with his new girlfriend while recovering from a hamstring injury.
Fan Anger and Petition
That decision has enraged fans, with Madrid on track for a second consecutive trophyless season. A petition calling for the club to sell Mbappe this summer has now surpassed 73 million signatures.
Mbappe appears unfazed by the backlash, as he was photographed laughing while leaving Madrid's training ground following a chaotic day at the club. This came after teammates Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were involved in a shocking dressing room altercation.
Dressing Room Incident
Valverde reportedly lost consciousness and sustained a head injury during the clash, requiring hospital treatment. Both players were fined €500,000 for their roles in the controversy. Tchouameni has been named in the squad for tonight's match, but Valverde and Mbappe are absent, despite reports suggesting the Frenchman was nearing a return.
Mbappe was seen doing ballwork at Madrid's training base, but he is evidently not ready to feature. Los Blancos are desperate to avoid handing Barcelona the title, as the Catalans can mathematically secure LaLiga with just one point this evening. Madrid trail by 11 points in second place.
Arbeloa's Defence
Arbeloa defended Valverde and Tchouameni on Friday, praising the club's decisive action and the players' apologies. 'What I'm not going to do is publicly crucify them, because they don't deserve it,' Arbeloa said in his press conference. 'They've shown me what it means to be a Real Madrid player over these past four months and years.'
He added: 'I'm not going to allow this to be used to question their professionalism. I'm the one ultimately responsible for the fact that we probably haven't lived up to expectations this season. If you want to point the finger at someone, here I am.'
Rudiger-Carreras Incident
It was also reported this week that Antonio Rudiger 'slapped' teammate Alvaro Carreras, with the latter issuing a statement appearing to confirm the confrontation. Arbeloa insisted that clashes between teammates have always occurred in dressing rooms, referencing the 2007 incident when his then-Liverpool teammate Craig Bellamy hit John Arne Riise with a golf club.
Despite that incident, Liverpool reached the Champions League final that season. Arbeloa expressed concerns over leaks from the Real Madrid dressing room, calling them a 'betrayal and disloyalty to the badge.'
'No, I don't work for the CIA and I'm not accusing the players, there are many people involved with Real Madrid,' Arbeloa said. 'What happens with my players will remain between them and me, and we have to set an example.'
Mbappe Defence
Arbeloa also came to Mbappe's defence. 'For a player to leave training smiling is taking things out of context and making them seem out of place,' he said. 'In Mbappe's case, we all know the effort he made to come to Madrid and what he gave up. We've all seen him in a Madrid tracksuit as a kid.'
He concluded: 'I feel completely within the authority of a Madrid coach, ultimately, they're respecting the current coach, and as a player, that's the most important thing.'
