Mbappé playing in Saudi Arabia in January is not impossible

It is not impossible, but it is an ‘impossible’. And sometimes, those are possible. That is what Real Madrid are clinging to with Mbappé. Not for Betis, which is completely ruled out, but for the Super Cup. The glass is more than half empty. Nobody inside the club dares to give a verdict. The word they use is simple: “unknown”. Some go even further. Logically, he will not be ready in time for Saudi Arabia. Because the injury is serious.

A knee sprain, the left one in Kylian’s case, is no minor issue. Even more so given that he has been carrying it for a while, despite the MRI that confirmed it being done this Wednesday after the open training session, the first since December 7th, against Celta. Still, there is a glimmer of hope. Inside the club and in the player’s own mind. It is minimal, but it exists. The door to the Super Cup is not completely closed for Kylian. Not yet.

Of course, it would almost be a miracle. Everything depends on the level of inflammation and the stability of the knee, but even in the best-case scenario, recovery from this type of injury usually means two or three weeks out. The medical report was issued on New Year’s Eve, December 31st; the Super Cup semi-final against Atlético is on January 8th. Barça vs Athletic is on Wednesday the 7th. The final, if Real Madrid make it, is on Sunday the 11th. Do the maths.

Mbappé’s importance has pushed him to the limit, but his knee has finally said enough. He did not play against City, his first match after the Celta game and the only one of the 25 he has missed, but he did play the full 90 minutes against Alavés and Sevilla in La Liga, and also against Talavera in the Copa del Rey. In total, 270 minutes with the injured joint, never at 100 percent, until it was time to stop. Now, the Super Cup represents more than just a risk.

A risk for Mbappé, the most used player by Xabi with 2,108 minutes, and a risk for Real Madrid, who would be left exposed without Kylian. Without his 29 goals and five assists in just 25 matches. Without the top scorer in La Liga with 18 goals and in the Champions League with nine. Without the killer instinct. Without the leader. That is why the club are exploring every possible scenario. That is why they are chasing the ‘impossible’.

Without Mbappé, there are two alternatives. The natural one is a straight replacement. That is where Gonzalo comes in, as he did in the Club World Cup, where he finished as top scorer with four goals. The other option looks back to the past. To the system Ancelotti once devised to fit Bellingham. The one that led Jude to the Bronze Ball and an explosive start. Vinicius and Rodrygo up front, with the Englishman as the link. As the tip of the diamond, free to connect the lines and arrive in the box. These are Xabi’s two options without Kylian. They will be used against Betis. Will they also be used in Saudi Arabia?

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