Akin Ayomide
Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappe is fit to play on Sunday against Alaves in La Liga, as his depleted team bid to turn around a run of bad results.
Mbappe missed the Champions League defeat by Manchester City on Wednesday which left Madrid with just two wins in their last eight games and Alonso at risk of the sack.
“We’ve got Kylian back, he’s ready to play, and tomorrow we’ll see and decide (if he starts), that’s good news obviously,” Alonso said on Saturday.
Real Madrid are without several injured players for the game in Vitoria, including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Eduardo Camavinga.
Fran Garcia, Alvaro Carreras and Endrick are also suspended. Defender Dean Huijsen is likely to return for the clash at Alaves which could define Alonso’s future.
“Evidently despite the players we’ve got out we have strong enough players and a strong enough team,” continued the coach.
Alonso said he hoped Madrid’s current struggles, lying four points behind La Liga leaders Barca, could make them stronger.
“We are having difficulties but we can grow, if we can get past these tough times, change the dynamic, maybe in a few weeks we’ll look back and think ‘we went through a lot but it made us stronger’.”