By Adegboyega Adeleye

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of the Spanish Super Cup this week as the French superstar would not be fit to face city rivals Atletico Madrid on Thursday in the semifinals, with Barcelona taking on Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old, who is the team’s top goalscorer, is recovering from a knee sprain and has not been included in the Real Madrid squad on Tuesday for the tournament in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Mbappe was diagnosed on New Year’s Eve with a sprain in his left knee and will not travel with the club as the club adopts a ‘zero risk’ policy.

However, there is a major boost for Xabi Alonso with Trent Alexander-Arnold returning to the squad after injury.

The Spanish coach is under pressure after a disappointing start to the season, with his team trailing champions Barca by four points in LaLiga.

Mbappé already missed the first derby played by Real Madrid following his arrival in September 2024, a match held at the Metropolitano. In the four derbies he has featured in since then, he has scored twice — both goals coming in LaLiga.