BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappé is expected to miss his first big domestic match since joining Real Madrid when the defending champion plays at Atletico Madrid without its injured striker in La Liga on Sunday.
Mbappé will be sidelined for an unspecified period after he hurt a hamstring, the club said this week. His injury came after the France star scored his seventh goal this season for Madrid in a win over Alavés.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to make a choice to fill the void left by the club’s biggest blockbuster signing since Cristiano Ronaldo over a decade ago. The Italian coach could maintain his three-strong attacking line if he opts to give fellow newcomer Endrick his first start.
The explosive 18-year-old has already impressed with two goals in a handful of appearances as a late substitute that have totaled only 47 minutes. Endrick could line up alongside fellow Brazilians Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo.
The other option for Ancelotti would be to go back to the 4-4-2 setup that won the league and Champions League last year, with the exception of the now retired Toni Kroos.
That would mean adding another midfielder from among Luka Modric, Eduardo Camavinga, or Arda Guler to play alongside expected starters Jude Bellingham, Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni.
“I don’t know if (Mbappé) is going to play or not, but they have several good players to turn to,” Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak said. “Whoever plays will play well and want to win as much as we do.”
Atletico was the only team to beat Madrid last season in its domestic title march. Diego Simeone’s side won its home derby 3-1 and earned a 1-1 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Madrid is in second place in the league standings at four points behind Barcelona, which has a perfect 21 points after winning all seven games since Hansi Flick took over as coach.
Atletico is third, two points behind Madrid after new arrival Julián Álvarez scored a 90th-minute goal to eke out a 1-0 victory at Celta Vigo on Wednesday.
That goal could help Álvarez make the starting 11 alongside the untouchable Antoine Griezmann for the derby. Striker Alexander Sorloth is Simeone’s other top option in attack.
Álvarez and Sorloth were joined by Connor Gallagher and Robin Le Normand as part of a major summer facelift for Atletico.
Barcelona will visit Osasuna on Saturday seeking to match its club record for a perfect start to the season with an eighth consecutive win.