Mbappe targeting Real Madrid return in Club World Cup last 16

Xabi Alonso confirmed Kylian Mbappe will miss Real Madrid’s final group game against Salzburg but hopes he will be back for the knockout stages.

Mbappe was briefly taken to the hospital as he suffered from acute gastroenteritis last week and returned to training on Wednesday.

However, Alonso has opted not to include Mbappe, who netted 43 goals in all competitions in 2024-25, against Salzburg, as Madrid continue to prioritise his full recovery.

As such, their target is to get him back in the team for the round of 16, should they qualify.

"It [Wednesday] was his first day back in boots, his first day running a little, and he did well," Alonso told reporters. "But he's not fully recovered yet.

"We talked about it after training, and he prefers to rest and recover properly for when we go through.

"And if we make it to the round of 16, he'll be available, but he was still in the recovery process and wasn't perfect for tomorrow."

Madrid currently sit top of Group H, level on points with Salzburg, so avoiding defeat on Thursday would send them into the next round, while a win would see them through as group winners.

However, if they lose and Al-Hilal win, Madrid will make an early exit from the competition.

The only previous meeting between Salzburg and Madrid came in the 2024-25 Champions League, with the Spanish side winning 5-1 during the league phase.

Alonso believes Jude Bellingham, who scored the opener against Pachuca last time out, will be an important factor in Madrid making it out of their group, heaping praise on the 21-year-old.

"He'll be key. I love what he does in midfield, how he's involved in every play, and he has a lot of quality," he said of Bellingham.

"We saw that against Pachuca. We try to stay close to him; he's very ambitious, a player who always wants to improve, to keep growing. We're eager to continue watching him grow and improve."