05/10/26 06:05:00
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05/10 06:03 CDT Real Madrid's Mbapp to miss Sunday's clasico that could seal
Spanish league title for Barcelona
Real Madrid's Mbapp to miss Sunday's clasico that could seal Spanish league
title for Barcelona
By TALES AZZONI
AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) --- Real Madrid will be without the injured Kylian Mbapp in
Sunday's clasico that could seal a second straight Spanish league title for
Barcelona.
Mbapp, the league's leading scorer with 24 goals, was not included in Madrid's
squad after failing to recover from a left-hamstring ailment that has kept him
sidelined since late April.
Mbapp last week addressed a fresh wave of criticism of him in Spain, insisting
he was fully committed to the club and to recovering from his latest injury.
Some Madrid fans had expressed concern that the France forward was saving
himself for the upcoming World Cup.
Barcelona hosts Madrid at Camp Nou with the opportunity to celebrate the La
Liga crown with a victory or even a draw against its fiercest rival. Barcelona
enters the last clasico of the season leading Madrid by 11 points with four
rounds remaining.
Madrid, playing mostly for pride and to avoid the humiliation of watching
Barcelona celebrate at its expense, is reeling after an embarrassing week in
which players Federico Valverde and Aurlien Tchouamni were each fined 500,000
euros ($589,000) for an altercation during training that left Valverde
sidelined with a head injury after allegedly accidentally knocking his head on
a table.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training last
week. Alvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a "minor" incident with a teammate.
Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rdiger got into a scuffle.
Alvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Xabi
Alonso was fired in January, has Madrid facing a second consecutive campaign
without a major trophy amid rumors in Spanish media that club president
Florentino Prez is considering bringing back Jos Mourinho to straighten out
his underperforming team.
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