Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid (AP Photo) Real Madrid will head into Sunday’s Clasico decider against FC Barcelona without star striker Kylian Mbappé, dealing a massive setback to their already slim hopes of stopping their rivals from claiming another La Liga crown. Mbappé, who is the top scorer in the league with 24 goals, has failed to recover in time from a left thigh muscle injury that has sidelined him since the end of April. The France captain was left out of Madrid’s traveling squad, leaving the visitors without their biggest attacking weapon in one of the most important games of the season. The absence comes at a difficult time for Mbappé, who has recently responded to criticism regarding his commitment to the club and his recovery process. Reports in Spain claimed that sections of the Madrid fan base were worried that the forward was being overly cautious ahead of the upcoming World Cup. Mbappé has publicly dismissed those concerns and insisted he is fully focused on returning to the club as soon as possible. Barcelona are now on the verge of narrowly winning the Spanish league titles. The Catalan giants host their fiercest rivals at the Camp Nou knowing that even a draw will be enough to mathematically secure the championship. Barcelona head into the final Clasico of the campaign sitting 11 points clear of Madrid with just four league games remaining. Madrid’s preparations for the high-pressure clash have also been overshadowed by a series of worrying incidents behind the scenes. Midfielders Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were fined €500,000 after a heated confrontation during training last week. The altercation reportedly ended with Valverde suffering a head injury after accidentally bumping into a table. The drama didn’t end there. Defender Álvaro Carreras later admitted he was also involved in a “minor” incident in training with a teammate. Spanish reports claimed that Carreras and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger were involved in a scuffle during training. Amid the turmoil, Madrid manager Álvaro Arbeloa is facing increasing pressure. Arbeloa was promoted from the reserves after Xabi Alonso was released in January, but the club now look set to go a second consecutive season without a major trophy. Reports in the Spanish media have also linked club president Florentino Pérez with a sensational move to bring back José Mourinho in a bid to revive the struggling side and restore discipline to the squad.
