Real Madrid released the news that Kylian Mbappe suffered a thigh injury following the La Liga fixture against Deportivo Alavés. It is reported that he will miss Madrid’s next three games, ruling him out of this weekend’s derby against Atlético Madrid. Read on to find out how his absence will affect Los Blancos’ approach to the match.
Kylian Mbappe Becomes Latest Injured Galáctico
Out Until After The International Break?
Although no official time frame has been announced for how long Kylian Mbappe will be out for, it has been reported that he’s set to miss the next three games. This would leave him sidelined for the clashes with Atlético Madrid, LOSC Lille and Villarreal CF – three crucial fixtures for Real.
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Manager Carlo Ancelotti will then hope he is available for the following league match against RC Celta Vigo, which follows the October international break. This may allow Mbappe to have more recovery time providing he doesn’t go away with France on international duty.
Who Will Start In the Derby?
The obvious choice to fill the striker position would be the (barely) man who has played up-front when subbed on so far this season – Endrick. However, for a game of this magnitude, Ancelotti may want to revert to the ways of last season’s La Liga title-winning side.
He typically played a 4-3-1-2 formation with Jude Bellingham in the spot behind the forwards, Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo who played in their usual wide positions. This allowed Bellingham to roam freely, to drop into midfield when needed and to arrive in the box to get on the end of crosses or any loose balls.
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This approach worked remarkably well as Madrid won the La Liga and Champions League double. It even made fans question what Mbappe’s role would be if they had been playing so well in a team in which he didn’t feature. So it should reassure Ancelotti that without the Frenchman, they have a tried and trusted method to start matches.
The Midfield And Plan B
If Real Madrid do decide to start Bellingham in a more advanced role, it will leave a spot in midfield to be filled. Thankfully for Madrid, they have the great Luka Modric to bring in and he certainly knows a thing or two about playing against Atlético Madrid. In countless battles over the years with Diego Simeone’s sides, he has known how to control the midfield by slowing down the game’s tempo against an intense opposition.
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Questions will be asked of what Ancelotti will do if the “false nine” tactic starts to unravel. Last season the solution was to bring on Joselu Matos so that Madrid could play a direct style towards a more traditional striker. Now with Joselu plying his trade in the Middle East, it will be interesting to see what the backup plan is this time.
Having already spoken about being patient with young Endrick, Ancelotti may not trust him in a game of this magnitude so early on in the season. This could see Madrid trying to overload the midfield with the appearances of Dani Ceballos and Arda Güler off the bench.
Predicted Real Madrid Lineup
GK: Thibaut Courtois
RB: Lucas Vázquez
CB: Éder Militao
CB: Antonio Rüdiger
LB: Ferland Mendy
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni
CM: Federico Valverde
CM: Luka Modric
FW:Rodrygo
FW: Jude Bellingham
FW: Vinicius Jr
