Recovery in Valdebebas. Training sessions assess availability for El Clásico. Sunday decides whether the entire tactical strategy changes.
Kylian Mbappé continues his recovery in Valdebebas after a muscle injury to his left quadriceps. He is accelerating his training to be available for El Clásico against on Sunday, 10 May. The Camp Nou will be the stage for the final assessment.
Work sessions have already begun in Valdebebas. The club is monitoring his capacity for exertion before confirming availability. The coming hours will be decisive in measuring the Frenchman's progress.
Without Mbappé, Madrid lose a crucial attacking threat. Barcelona dominate counter-pressing and recovery in the opponent's half. The white franchise depends on width and dynamism on the flanks; without him, the system suffers against the Blaugrana's hierarchy.
The final decision will come soon. Mbappé's condition will redefine the tactical approach of both teams in a vital fixture for the title race. Sunday's Clásico arrives at a critical moment in the season.
Madrid are chasing the league title; Barcelona are looking to close the gap in the table. Mbappé was brought in to decide decisive matches. His absence is not merely an attacking problem: it is a rupture of the club's competitive plan.
Ancelotti built a system where the Frenchman's speed accelerates transitions and creates space. Without that variable, Madrid play reactive football against Barcelona, an environment where the Blaugrana generate superiority. Physical recovery intersects with the need for competitive rhythm.
Even if the coaching staff declare him fit, uncertainty will remain over his true physical state. Barcelona will press from minute one, hoping the Frenchman is not at 100 per cent. Madrid face a dilemma: field Mbappé with the risk of a recurrence or do without his tactical presence.
Either decision redefines the match before the ball rolls. The next 48 hours will determine not only the player's participation, but the competitive architecture of the end of the season. Mbappé came to Madrid precisely for these matches.
Barcelona on their own turf represents a scenario where the white franchise has historically needed attacking differences to break structured defences. His speed in transition forces the Blaugrana block to step out prematurely. Without that latent threat, Barcelona maintain central compactness and exploit numerical advantages in recovery.
Ancelotti will have spent months building mechanisms where the Frenchman is a cornerstone, not a complement. Facing the Camp Nou without that variable is like playing chess with missing pieces. The implications go beyond Sunday.
If Madrid compete without Mbappé and get a positive result, the narrative changes: the team proves resilient beyond its star. If they fail, questions about attacking dependence resurface at a crucial moment in the title race. Barcelona enter as de facto visitors in their own stadium if Mbappé is out: they manage a comfortable result without facing a top-level attacking threat.
The decision on the Frenchman in the coming hours not only defines Sunday's line-up, but also the messages both squads send about their season ambitions. Read at Mundo Deportivo
Mbappé's availability is decisive for El Clásico. His presence boosts Madrid's attack, creates space on the flanks and accelerates transitions. Without him, Barcelona can exploit their hierarchy in counter-pressing. Ancelotti would see his attacking capacity diminished. The Blaugrana would dominate ball recovery in the opponent's half. Sunday's fixture decides how both squads approach the duel: with tactical freedom or defensive caution. Mbappé's physical state, in the next 48 hours, will mark the direction of a crucial matchday.
Mundo Deportivomundodeportivo.comBy Manuel Bruña San Antonio4 May, 12:20
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