Kylian Mbappe ruled out of El Clasico as Barcelona target La Liga title
Real Madrid top scorer Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of Sunday’s El Clasico at Camp Nou, where a victory or draw will secure the La Liga title for Barcelona.
The France forward was omitted from the matchday squad after failing to recover from a left-hamstring problem that has sidelined him since late April.
His absence is a significant blow for the visitors, given the 25-year-old currently leads the Spanish top flight with 24 goals this season.
The former Paris St-Germain star recently addressed criticism from supporters who feared he was prioritising his fitness for the upcoming World Cup.
Barcelona close in on domestic glory
The Catalan giants host their fiercest rivals knowing they require a maximum of one point to celebrate a second successive league championship.
They enter the final Clasico of the campaign holding an insurmountable 11-point advantage over the capital club with just four matches remaining.
For the visitors, the fixture is largely an exercise in damage limitation to avoid the humiliation of watching their ultimate rivals lift the trophy at their expense.
Training ground turmoil compounds Madrid misery
The injury to their talisman comes at the end of a chaotic week for the Bernabeu outfit.
Midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were each fined 500,000 euros (£423,000) following an altercation during a training session.
That incident left the Uruguayan international sidelined with a head injury after allegedly knocking himself against a table.
Spanish media also reported a separate physical scuffle between defenders Alvaro Carreras and Antonio Rudiger.
Carreras publicly confirmed the friction within the camp, but played down his clash with a team-mate as a “minor” incident.
Managerial uncertainty looms large
Head coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who stepped up from the reserve squad following the dismissal of Xabi Alonso in January, finds himself under mounting pressure.
His underperforming side are now staring down the barrel of a second consecutive season without claiming a major piece of silverware.
Speculation is intensifying that club president Florentino Perez is considering a shock move to bring back former manager Jose Mourinho to restore order in Madrid.