Xabi Alonso makes huge Kylian Mbappe call after injury scare as Real Madrid squad to face Man City confirmed
Mbappe has been Madrid’s heartbeat in the 2025-26 campaign. With 25 goals across all competitions, plus four Champions League assists, he is on track to surpass Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for most goals (69) in a calendar year for the club. In La Liga, he has been responsible for half of Madrid’s total goals, and a scarcely believable 75 per cent in Europe. His last Champions League outing was a four-goal masterpiece against Olympiacos, underlining both his brilliance and Madrid’s reliance on him.
Alonso’s decision to include Mbappe in the squad comes at a moment when his own position is under intense scrutiny. Madrid’s 2-0 home defeat to Celta Vigo on Sunday was catastrophic, extending a bleak run of just two wins in seven matches across all competitions. The loss was compounded by two red cards, shown to Alvaro Carreras and Fran García, and a serious muscle injury to centre-back Eder Militao, who is expected to be sidelined for up to four months. The result widened the gap to Barcelona at the top of La Liga to four points and ignited further speculation that Alonso’s reign could be terminated if City inflict another damaging defeat. Reports in Madrid suggest this match, against Pep Guardiola’s side, may be his final chance to steady a season veering off course.
However, a defiant Alonso is not ready to throw in the towel. He said: “We are all in the same boat. We have to go through positive and negative times. We need to believe the next game is an opportunity, and tomorrow we have a very exciting game for all of us, and we need to keep our eyes open to have that energy so the Bernabeu enjoys what it sees. Communication [with the board] is constant. We are united, we are all together in this, and I have a good relationship with them.”
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