Real Madrid will travel to Barcelona for a high-stakes El Clasico on Sunday, May 10, without Kylian Mbappe after the forward was excluded from the squad because of injury concerns.
Mbappe has not fully recovered from the hamstring problem he picked up against Real Betis on April 24. Although he returned to partial training this week, the club decided against including him for a match that could hand Barcelona the La Liga title.
His absence adds to an extensive list of unavailable players for Madrid ahead of one of the defining fixtures of their season. Federico Valverde, Arda Guler, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Dani Carvajal and Dani Ceballos are also unavailable, leaving manager Alvaro Arbeloa short of several key first-team options for the trip to Catalonia.
🚨⚠️ Dani Ceballos, once again not called up by Álvaro Arbeloa.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 10, 2026
ℹ️ Real Madrid players out for El Clásico:
❌ Kylian Mbappé
❌ Fede Valverde
❌ Arda Güler
❌ Ferland Mendy
❌ Éder Militão
❌ Rodrygo
❌ Dani Carvajal
❌ Dani Ceballos pic.twitter.com/Bb5U4RJntX
Mbappe's omission has also arrived amid increasing attention on events away from the pitch.
The France captain drew criticism after reportedly travelling to Italy with his girlfriend during his recovery period instead of remaining in Madrid for rehabilitation work. The reaction intensified after a social media campaign calling for Real Madrid to sell Mbappe gained widespread traction online.
ALSO READ | Why Has The 'Mbappe Out' Petition Gone Viral? The Controversy Around Real Madrid Star Explained
While analysts later questioned the legitimacy of the petition's numbers, claiming bot activity and repeated voting had inflated the figures, the online backlash reflected growing frustration among supporters during a disappointing campaign for the club.
Madrid's problems have not been limited to injuries and fan criticism.
Reports in Spain this week claimed tensions inside the dressing room escalated after Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni were involved in a confrontation during training. The disagreement allegedly continued inside the dressing room, where Valverde sustained a head injury after colliding with a table and later required stitches.
According to reports, Real Madrid handled the matter internally by issuing fines to both players before the pair apologised. Tchouameni remains part of the squad for El Clasico, while Valverde has been ruled out.
Additional reports of disagreements between players and members of the coaching staff have further increased scrutiny on the club before a decisive Clasico showdown.
Barcelona need only a point to officially secure the La Liga title, meaning Real Madrid must win to stop their biggest rivals from clinching the trophy against them and celebrating the achievement in front of their home supporters.
Madrid did receive one boost ahead of the fixture, with Thibaut Courtois returning to the squad following injury recovery and expected to start in goal.
The pressure surrounding the match is immense for the visitors. Failure to win would not only allow Barcelona to seal the title but would also confirm Real Madrid's fate of finishing the season without a major trophy, intensifying questions around the club's turbulent final weeks of the campaign.
ALSO READ | Real Madrid Fine Valverde, Tchouameni Euro 500K Each After Dressing Room Bust-Up
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