Real Madrid take on Atletico Madrid on Sunday without the services of top scorer Kylian Mbappe. The summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain injured his thigh during Tuesday’s victory against Alaves, and he is set to remain unavailable to Los Blancos until after the international break.
It is a big blow for Carlo Ancelotti to be without Mbappe, especially for a mammoth fixture like the Madrid derby. However, it’s not expected to change much from a tactical perspective, as the Italian stated in his pre-match press conference on Saturday (via Diario AS).
“I don’t pay much attention to the system. A 4-3-3 can change to 4-4-2 with the same players. It may be that with three strikers it will be a 4-4-2 with Vini or Rodrygo as a winger. What I want is for the team to be supportive and committed. We’re used to playing without Mbappe, he wasn’t here last season. We will be fine.”
Ancelotti also confirmed that Eduardo Camavinga is available for Real Madrid at the Metropolitano, following reports that he has passed a fitness test – he also trained with his teammates on Saturday.
“Camavinga has recovered well, he is in good condition. If a player is available, he can play 90 or zero minutes.”