Kylian Mbappé, the French forward for Real Madrid, returned to group training ahead of the visit to Alavés and was the big news at the last session at the Ciudad Real Madrid sports complex, bringing relief to Xabi Alonso, who also hopes to have defenders Dean Huijsen and Antonio Rüdiger back. Mbappé, wearing a cap despite the 11-degree temperature, trained at the same pace as his teammates and passed a test in a group that included Antonio Rüdiger. If both players can feature in Vitoria, it will partially alleviate the complex situation Xabi Alonso is facing in a defense where he cannot count on any of his full-backs, with Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy injured, along with David Alaba, plus Álvaro Carreras and Fran García suspended. Endrick, who was also sent off against Celta, completes the long list of Madrid absentees in Mendizorroza. Mbappé returned to the pitch at Ciudad Real Madrid, seeking confidence in his left knee, where he suffered a heavy blow against Celta Vigo last Sunday, which prevented him from playing minutes against Manchester City on Wednesday. After a morning session in the gym, the first 15 minutes of work on the open pitch were visible to the media, with Mbappé doing knee movements and seeking confidence. After a light run, he took part in ball exercises without any problem and is pointing towards Vitoria. Huijsen, absent for the last five Real Madrid matches, was also a positive note for Xabi Alonso in the morning.
