A tough blow for Real Madrid about 24 hours before the kickoff of the clash with Benfica, valid for the second leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff. Kylian Mbappé will miss the match against the Eagles due to knee problems that have persisted since December 7, during the match against Celta de Vigo. This Tuesday, the French international had to leave training early, and according to L’Équipe, his participation against the Reds is in doubt. Without Mbappé, Arbeloa will have to find a solution, which seems to point towards the young talent Gonzalo García. Benfica should not underestimate the young forward, as his numbers, especially when he does not play alongside Mbappé, are impressive. This season, the young Spanish international has scored six goals and provided two assists in 964 minutes of play, spread across four competitions: UEFA Champions League, La Liga, Copa del Rey, and Supercopa de España. The striker has yet to score in the Champions League, where he has played 88 minutes across four matches. In 38 matches for the Real Madrid first team, counting this and last season, Gonzalo García has scored 11 goals. Interestingly (or not), all of them were scored without Mbappé on the field, in about 890 minutes. With the Frenchman on the pitch, the young forward has not scored any goals. There are several reasons that help explain this record. Arbeloa (and previously Xabi Alonso) has opted to use Gonzalo García when Mbappé is unavailable, whether as a starter or as a substitute during matches. In fact, Gonzalo García is the only option Arbeloa has to replace Mbappé in the attack. Endrick could have been considered, but he was loaned to Lyon under Paulo Fonseca in January to gain minutes. Gonzalo García and Mbappé have rarely played together, with the former being the Frenchman's alternative. Arbeloa has other options to replace Mbappé if he wants to use Gonzalo García as a trump card off the bench. Brahim Díaz or Mastantuono could be considered to play up front with Vinícius Júnior, but they would always be adaptations. Brahim Díaz played 26 minutes in the loss to Osasuna and four minutes in the victory at the Luz. Mastantuono has not been used in the last three matches, and it is not expected that he will jump directly into the starting eleven for such an important game for the whites. Arbeloa is unlikely to count on Mbappé, but the headaches do not stop there. The Real Madrid coach has other absences to deal with. Dean Huijsen is out, as are Militão, Bellingham, Ceballos, and Rodrygo. Fede Valverde, who has been complaining about one of his knees, participated in training, and it seems he will be available for the rematch against Benfica, given the importance of the game and Arbeloa's plans. This Tuesday, in light of so many absences, the coach called up two young players from the academy: Cestero, Manuel Ángel, and Thiago Pitarch.
Benfica Real Madrid remains central to this story.
Benfica Real Madrid remains central to this story.
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