Real Madrid forward will not start against Barcelona, fit to play only 30 minutes

Kylian Mbappe’s fitness has been the biggest talking point heading into tonight’s Spanish Super Cup final between Barcelona and Real Madrid .

The Frenchman had picked up an injury before the Super Cup and was always a doubt heading into the final.

Real Madrid had notably started with Gonzalo Garcia in the semifinal against Atletico Madrid and were hoping Mbappe would be able to start against Barcelona.

However, French news outlet RMC Sport has now confirmed that Mbappe is not fit to start against Barcelona tonight.

The French international will start on the bench as he is yet to fully recover from the injury. However, he will be fit enough to play a small part in the game.

It appears Xabi Alonso has not opted to take any risks with the star striker, despite the importance of this clash and the weight he holds in the team.

Mbappe will start on the bench against Barcelona. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The report suggests Mbappe will be able to play at least 30 minutes against Barcelona tonight.

How and whether exactly Mbappe will fit into those 30 minutes remains to be seen. It is likely that the Frenchman could be introduced after the half hour, providing additional impetus to the Real Madrid frontline.

In his absence from the starting eleven, Los Blancos are likely to continue with Gonzalo Garcia in the number nine role, supported by the wide attacking duo of Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr, who is chasing a record held by Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferenc Puskas and Karim Benzema tonight.

Garcia has shown a lot of quality in recent matches, notably scoring a hat-trick against Real Betis. But Real Madrid are certainly expected to feel the absence of a star player like Mbappe from the starting eleven.