Xabi Alonso hinted Kylian Mbappe could return to Real Madrid’s starting XI in the Club World Cup quarter-finals after his side overcame Juventus to book their place in the last eight.
Gonzalo Garcia’s second-half header – assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold – proved decisive as Los Blancos advanced through from tonight’s heavyweight last-16 tie at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.
Mbappe missed all three of Madrid’s group-stage contests after being hospitalised with acute gastroenteritis on the eve of this summer’s tournament.
But Alonso sent Mbappe on in place of match-winner Garcia in the 68th minute and while the Frenchman was unable to make a meaningful difference, he will no doubt be pleased to get some minutes in his legs following a challenging few days on the sidelines.
Madrid will take on one of Borussia Dortmund or Monterrey in the next round at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, where Alonso will look to move one step further to securing his first piece of silverware as head coach.
‘We’re growing game by game and today we improved again,’ Alonso said shortly after the final whistle.
‘You have to know how to compete and grit your teeth. This is Real Madrid.’
Alonso is optimistic over Mbappe’s chances of returning to Madrid’s starting XI when the club resume their campaign on Saturday evening.
‘Kylian Mbappe? I think he will feel much better for the quarter-finals,’ the Spaniard replied when asked for an update on the forward’s fitness.
‘I talk to him every day, let’s see. He feels better.’
Asked whether there is a possibility both Garcia and Mbappe could start together in Madrid’s next clash, Alonso replied: ‘I’m not yet preparing for the next game.
‘I’m happy with Gonzalo and the whole team. We have to start figuring out what we need.
‘We’ll draw up good conclusions when the times comes.’
Alonso insists he has no preference when it comes to Madrid’s next opponents, with Dortmund and Monterrey set to battle it out for a quarter-final spot on Wednesday.
‘I’ll be following that closely, of course,’ the ex-Bayer Leverkusen boss added.
‘It doesn’t matter which one I choose. I know Dortmund and the Monterrey coaches very well.’
Alonso is pleased with Alexander-Arnold’s contribution, but feels the England right-back has much more to give considering he has ‘barely trained’ with his new team-mates.
On Alexander-Arnold’s first assist as a Madrid player, Alonso said: ‘Crossing is his trademark… he’s done 500 of those.
‘On the right, we sometimes need an extra foot. One-on-one dribbling isn’t his thing.
‘He comes to Madrid to compete; he’s barely trained. Everything takes time.’
