Kylian Mbappé misses El Clásico for Real Madrid against Barcelona at Camp Nou

TL;DR

Kylian Mbappé will miss El Clásico against Barcelona due to hamstring discomfort, leaving Real Madrid without a key player. His absence comes amid a turbulent atmosphere in the Madrid camp following a recent player altercation.

Key points

Kylian Mbappé will miss El Clásico due to hamstring discomfort.
His absence is a setback for Real Madrid against Barcelona.
The Madrid camp is facing turmoil after a player altercation.

Mentioned in this story

Kylian MbappéFederico ValverdeDani CarvajalÉder MilitãoRodrygoArda GülerFerland Mendy

Real MadridBarcelona

MADRID, SPAIN - MAY 09: Kylian Mbappé and Thiago Pitarch of Real Madrid are training at Ciudad Real Madrid on May 09, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Antonio Villalba/Real Madrid via Getty Images) | Real Madrid via Getty Images Barcelona walks into tonight’s *El Clásico* at the Spotify Camp Nou with a clear path to the trophy. If they avoid defeat, the league title is officially theirs. It is a grim outlook for the visitors, who confirmed just before traveling that Kylian Mbappé will not be on the plane. The French forward had participated in sessions earlier in the week, but his recovery hit a wall at the worst possible moment. The situation turned on a dime during the final minutes of Saturday’s training at Valdebebas. According to Diario MARCA, Kylian Mbappé stopped abruptly with only five minutes left on the clock. He informed the staff of sharp discomfort in his hamstrings and left the pitch immediately. This sudden exit caught the technical team off guard, as they had been feeling quite positive about his progress after a previous quad injury. The club’s official line is that Kylian Mbappé hasn’t reached the competitive fitness levels required for a game of this magnitude. But for a fanbase already frustrated by his frequent travel and lack of impact in big moments, the timing feels like a massive letdown. It leaves Álvaro Arbeloa without a player who historically poses a problem for Barcelona, boasting a record of a goal every 67 minutes against them. Beyond the injury list, the atmosphere in the Madrid camp is volatile. A recent physical fight between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde reportedly resulted in the Uruguayan midfielder being hospitalized with a head injury. While Tchouaméni was named to the squad, Valverde is forced to miss the match to recover. El País reports that the club issued €500,000 fines to both players to deal with a crisis that has completely destabilized the locker room. Along with Kylian Mbappé and Federico Valverde, the squad is missing , Éder Militão, , Arda Güler, and . Even with returning to the goal, the Madrid squad looks thin. Their list includes backup keepers and Sergio Mestre, plus , , Raúl , Álvaro , , Antonio Rüdiger, , David Jiménez, , , Aurélien Tchouaméni, Thiago Pitarch, , César Palacios, , , , and .

Q&A

Why is Kylian Mbappé missing El Clásico against Barcelona?

Kylian Mbappé is missing El Clásico due to hamstring discomfort that arose during training, preventing him from reaching the necessary fitness levels.

What impact does Mbappé's absence have on Real Madrid's chances?

Mbappé's absence is significant as he has a strong scoring record against Barcelona, and his lack of presence weakens Real Madrid's attacking options.

What other players are missing from Real Madrid for El Clásico?

In addition to Mbappé, Federico Valverde, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, Rodrygo, Arda Güler, and Ferland Mendy are also unavailable for the match.