Real Madrid Set to Face RB Salzburg: Updates on Kylian Mbappe's Situation

As the group stage of the Club World Cup concludes, Real Madrid prepares to face RB Salzburg on Thursday without the confirmation of their spot in the last 16. A win in Philadelphia will secure them as group winners, while a draw may suffice depending on the outcome of Al-Hilal vs. Pachuca. However, they will be without their star striker Kylian Mbappe, who is unavailable for this match.

During the group stage, Mbappe was hospitalized due to acute gastroenteritis. Although he returned to training, it is prudent to exercise caution given the conditions in recent matches.

Xabi Alonso, the new manager, expressed concern about Mbappe’s readiness: “I was glad to see him on the pitch but it’s the first time he was running around, but he’s not fully recovered yet… He’s still in the recovery process.”

Mbappe’s contribution is crucial for Real Madrid moving forward, especially after scoring 40 goals in his debut season. Meanwhile, Gonzalo Garcia is expected to start his third consecutive match in the tournament after impressive performances in prior games.

Predicted Lineups

RB Salzburg: Christian Zawieschitzky, Stefan Lainer, Joane Gadou, Jacob Rasmussen, Frans Kratzig, Mads Bidstrup, Soumaila Diabate, Nene Dorgeles, Oscar Gloukh, Edmund Baidoo, Karim Onisiwo

Real Madrid: Thibaut Courtois, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, Fran Garcia, Arda Guler, Aurelien Tchouameni, Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde, Gonzalo Garcia, Vinicius Junior

Watch the Match

Date: Thursday, June 26 | Time: 9 p.m. ET | Location: Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Live stream: Watch on DAZN (for free) | Odds: RB Salzburg +750; Draw +490; Real Madrid -370

Group H Scenarios

Real Madrid advance to the round of 16 with:

Win or draw against RB Salzburg
Loss to RB Salzburg AND Al-Hilal draw or loss to Pachuca

RB Salzburg advance to the round of 16 with:

Win or draw against Real Madrid
Loss to Real Madrid AND Al-Hilal loss to Pachuca

Momentum is key for Real Madrid as they aim to top the group and advance confidently into knockout rounds.