Madrid coach Alonso hoping Mbappé is ‘back soon’ at Club World Cup after illness

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso still can’t say whether Kylian Mbappé will be available to play in the next round of the Club World Cup after missing all three group games.

Mbappé was hospitalized last week with acute gastroenteritis and has not played a minute of the tournament so far.

Despite being back in training, he was not even named as a substitute for Thursday’s 3-0 win against RB Salzburg.

“I don’t want to be optimistic and get ahead of myself, but we need him because he’s a top player, one of the best in the world. We hope he’s back soon,” Alonso said when asked about Mbappé’s availability for the round of 16 game against Juventus on Tuesday.

Mbappé is one of the biggest stars at the expanded Club World Cup being staged in the United States and his absence has been a blow to a tournament FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants to become one of the biggest events in the sport.

Infantino managed to get Lionel Messi into the tournament when Inter Miami was granted entry despite not winning the MLS Cup and encouraged teams to try to sign Cristiano Ronaldo during a specially created transfer window before the first game kicked off this month.

Mbappé, along with Messi and Erling Haaland, is one of the top attractions, but his headlines have been limited to off-field issues.

As well as his illness, he also made the news this week when it emerged he had filed a moral harassment case against former club Paris Saint-Germain. He unhappy with the way he was treated by this year’s Champions League winner when he was sidelined after his decision not to extend his contract with the club in 2023.

Mbappé is also at odds with PSG, arguing he is owed 55 million euros ($61 million) in unpaid wages.

None of this is helping Madrid’s bid to become the first team to lift the new Club World Cup and the golden trophy crafted by Tiffany & Co.

The 26-year-old Mbappe was Madrid’s top scorer last season, with 43 goals in 56 appearances.

He had been following specific medical treatment to recover from gastroenteritis, Madrid said, but has missed two games since being discharged from hospital.

“We need him and we want him back as soon as possible and in the best possible condition,” Alonso said.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer