Mbappe Misses Supercopa Match Against Atletico Madrid

Real Madrid Faces Significant Absence

French international striker Kylian Mbappe, a key player for Real Madrid, will not participate in the Supercopa de España this week due to a knee sprain. The Spanish club announced on Tuesday that the French superstar was not included in the squad for the tournament in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Mbappe was diagnosed with this issue last week, and expectations indicate that he will be out for at least three weeks. The team, coached by Xabi Alonso, is set to face local rivals Atletico Madrid on Thursday in the semifinals, while Barcelona will play against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

Alonso is under pressure following a disappointing start to the season, with his team trailing four points behind Barcelona, the La Liga champions. The coach mentioned last week that he would "do everything possible" to bring Mbappe back as soon as possible, questioning when that would be.

Mbappe equaled Cristiano Ronaldo's record by scoring 59 goals in a calendar year for Real Madrid during the La Liga victory against Sevilla on December 20. His form sharply contrasts with that of his attacking partner, Vinicius Junior, who has only scored five times across all competitions this season.