Kylian Mbappé is on course to be involved in El Clasico on Sunday night at 21:00 CEST. He avoided a muscle tear and only has a strain, which should allow him to feature against Barcelona. The forward returned to Valdebebas on Tuesday and put off tests scheduled for Wednesday until Thursday, with a bench role looking more likely than a start.

Mbappe's fitness point is only part of the story

The numbers still matter. Mbappé has 28 La Liga appearances and 24 La Liga goals, so even if he is used sparingly, Real Madrid are not talking about an emergency option. His Champions League rating of 8.05 is also higher than his 7.6 La Liga mark, which tells you how much he can lift his level in bigger games.

That is why the fitness update is important, but it is not the main issue around Madrid right now. The build-up has been shaped just as much by reports of tension at Valdebebas, with Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni at the centre of the latest row.

Madrid's mood is the bigger concern

According to the reporting, Valverde and Tchouaméni nearly came to blows after an aggressive foul in training. They squared up, exchanged shoves, and the argument continued into the dressing room. Other reporting went further, saying six players are refusing to speak to manager Álvaro Arbeloa.

There is also pushback on how far to take that version of events. Jorge Picon said the exchange lasted several minutes, but never became physical and was resolved internally. Álvaro Carreras has also tried to calm things down, saying, "The incident with a teammate is a one-off, without relevance and it is settled."

That does not erase the noise around the squad, though. It just shows why Madrid need the football to take over quickly. They go into the game on 77 points after 34 matches, with Barcelona on 88 after the same number of games, and this is the kind of gap that leaves no room for another messy week.

Mbappé being available helps Madrid's chances of keeping the contest alive. The rest of the build-up suggests they still need a calmer dressing room to give themselves a real chance of doing it.

FAQ

Will Kylian Mbappe be available for El Clasico this weekend?

Mbappe is on course to be involved in El Clasico on Sunday night at 21:00 CEST. He avoided a muscle tear and only has a strain, which should allow him to feature against Barcelona. He returned to Valdebebas on Tuesday and postponed tests from Wednesday until Thursday.

Is Kylian Mbappe likely to start El Clasico or make the bench?

The best-supported reading is that Mbappe is more likely to be on the bench than in the starting XI. The brief says he is on course to play, but it stops short of calling him definitely fit to start. His availability is still enough to give Real Madrid a major attacking option against Barcelona.

Why is there so much talk about Real Madrid dressing room tension before Barcelona?

Reports point to several flashpoints, including a row involving Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni during training. Álvaro Carreras said the incident was a one-off and already resolved, while Jorge Picon reported that the exchange lasted minutes and never became physical. The club is still trying to steady itself before El Clasico.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 18 outlets. How we work →