Kylian Mbappé is back, trained normally, and is in good shape on Real Madrid’s squad list to face Alavés away from home in the 16th round of La Liga. It’s the kind of news that shifts the club’s mood heading into the weekend and explains why this match suddenly carries extra weight. The No. 9, the league’s top scorer with 16 goals and also the Champions League leader with nine, has put his recent physical issues behind him after being left on the bench against Manchester City and lifts Real to another level at a time when the team needs to respond, on and off the field.
Mbappé’s absence in the midweek match wasn’t a technical decision. He had been dealing with a fractured finger and pain in his left knee, which led Xabi Alonso to take a cautious approach. The outcome was a 2-1 loss at the Santiago Bernabéu and a harsh reaction from the crowd, who booed the team during the second half and again after the final whistle. The atmosphere, already tense, grew even heavier for a coach under pressure who knows every round has turned into a public test.
Mbappé returns, but Xabi holds the call
Xabi Alonso didn’t confirm whether Mbappé will start against Alavés. He stuck to the standard pregame line, saying only that the forward is recovered and that the decision will be made on Sunday. It’s an understandable stance.
Mbappé is decisive, but the schedule doesn’t let up, and Real Madrid are dealing with a long list of absences. In total, nine players are out for this match, through injury or suspension: Alaba, Éder Militão, Carvajal, Carreras, Endrick, Fran García, Mendy, Camavinga, and Alexander-Arnold. That’s a lot for a squad that’s already been stretched beyond the ideal.
Huijen, on the other hand, trained normally and is expected to return to the starting lineup, which helps patch up a defensive unit that’s been heavily reshuffled. Even so, the situation is far from ideal. Xabi himself acknowledged the limits of the group, saying, "There’s no other absence compared to the Manchester City game. We got Kylian back, but we have three suspended players, it’s part of the game. We don’t have many players available. It’ll be a very important match given where we are, and we want to change the run of results."
Pressure, standings, and the need for a response
The season numbers explain why the pressure has ramped up. In 22 matches, Real Madrid have 15 wins, three draws, and four losses. It’s not a disaster, far from it, but it’s also not the standard the club is used to. In La Liga, the team sits second with 36 points, four behind Barcelona. The uncomfortable detail is that Barça play Osasuna on Saturday at Camp Nou and could extend that gap before Real even take the field.
In that context, the match against Alavés becomes a chance to quiet the noise, rebuild confidence, and above all show a reaction. Mbappé, even without a guaranteed spot in the starting eleven, represents that. His mere presence changes the weight of the attack and how opponents behave. It doesn’t fix every problem or erase the pressure on Xabi Alonso, but it offers something solid for Real Madrid to lean on at a moment when the club needs exactly that.