MADRID (AP) — Kylian Mbappé trained separately from his Real Madrid teammates on Tuesday, putting in doubt his availability for the Champions League match against Manchester City on Wednesday.
Madrid said Mbappé trained indoors as the rest of the squad worked on the pitch under the command of coach Xabi Alonso.
Mbappé, who has 25 goals for Madrid this season, has been nursing a left leg ailment, according to Spanish media. He is the leading scorer both in the Spanish league and the Champions League.
Madrid has won only two of its last seven matches across all tournaments. It is coming off a 2-0 home loss to Celta Vigo in the Spanish league on Sunday. In the Champions League, it won 4-3 at Olympiakos after losing 1-0 at Liverpool.
“We’ve drawn our conclusions about the Celta game, and now we’re only thinking about City,” Alonso said Tuesday. "It’s the Champions League, we’re playing at the (Santiago) Bernabeu (stadium), and I’m sure the atmosphere will be special and different because of the energy that is created. That’s what’s in our heads right now.”
Madrid sits in fifth place after five matches in the league phase of the Champions League. It is two points ahead of ninth-place Man City.
Sunday's loss to Celta was Madrid's first home defeat of the season.
Alonso dismissed Spanish media suggestions that he has lost control of the locker room and that some players have not been satisfied with his work.
“This is a team, and we all stand together,” he said. "When you’re a Real Madrid coach, you have to be prepared to enjoy these situations calmly and responsibly. I’m looking forward to everything that’s to come, which starts tomorrow. We started closing the book on the Celta game yesterday, and today it’s just about City. In soccer, you can change perspective quickly, and we’re at that point.”
Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni said Alonso can't be blamed for the team's recent struggles.
“We’re all together,” he said. "If we want to win games, we all have to fight, coach and team in the same direction. It’s us who are on the pitch, and we have to do things better out there. We have a good opportunity to change the dynamic and pick up more points in the Champions League.
“Against Celta, for sure, the coach had a good game plan, but in the end, the players are the ones on the pitch, and if we play at our level, we have a better chance of winning," Tchouaméni said. "If we lose 0-2, it’s because there was a problem on the pitch, like intensity or technical fouls. It’s not the coach’s fault. We have to improve, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Alonso has been dealing with several defensive injuries and on Wednesday will be without defender Éder Militão, who was hurt in the first half of the game against Celta. Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga also trained separately on Tuesday.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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Or the excuse that "Corporate" dictates what we play and the volume. Ever tried to contact "Corporate?"
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