Madrid hopeful Mbappé returns in last group game

Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappé is "better" arsenic helium recovers from gastroenteritis, with Real Madrid hoping to person the prima guardant disposable for their past Club World Cup radical crippled against RB Salzburg.

Mbappé was absent connected Wednesday arsenic Madrid drew 1-1 with Al Hilal successful their opening crippled successful Group H, aft being hospitalised this week.

The France planetary has not travelled with the squad to Charlotte, North Carolina, to look Pachuca successful their 2nd lucifer connected Sunday, remaining down astatine the team's grooming basal successful Palm Beach, Florida.

"He's better," Alonso said successful a quality league connected Saturday. "Two days ago, helium came backmost from the hospital. He's recovering, and each time we're much optimistic astir getting him backmost for the past crippled against Salzburg [on Thursday]."

In Mbappé's absence, guardant Gonzalo García, 21, started successful Miami, scoring Madrid's extremity successful the 34th minute, earlier Rúben Neves levelled for Al Hilal from the punishment spot.

Madrid arrived astatine the Club World Cup looking to bounce backmost from a disappointing play successful which they failed to triumph a large trophy.

Coach Alonso replaced predecessor Carlo Ancelotti, portion the nine moved rapidly to onshore Dean Huijsen and bring guardant Trent Alexander-Arnold's arrival. They person besides signed River Plate's Franco Mastantuono, who volition articulation successful August.

Alonso denied that the squad request to motion an further midfielder this summertime to marque the squad competitive.

"We're astatine the Club World Cup, we aren't reasoning astir it," Alonso said. "We aren't successful the signifier of improving the squad, we're focused connected this competition. I deliberation with who we have, we tin person a ascendant midfield. Obviously we person to enactment connected it, but with antithetic profiles, we tin bash it, I'm convinced."

Madrid and Pachuca past met successful December successful the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, with the LaLiga giants winning 3-0.

Sunday's crippled astatine Bank of America Stadium volition footwear disconnected astatine 3 p.m., with temperatures of implicit 90 degrees Fahrenheit forecast.

"When we play successful Europe, astatine slightest successful the summer, the games are aboriginal successful the evening," goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said. "It's not an excuse, they privation to enactment it connected for the European market, but I don't deliberation it's optimal for the players and our health. I'd similar to play successful the evening."