Kylian Mbappe will start on the bench vs Barcelona, academy striker to start instead – report | OneFootball

The big question ahead of Real Madrid’s clash against Barcelona later today, needless to say, is Kylian Mbappe’s participation.

The Frenchman travelled to Saudi Arabia to join the team after their semifinal win over Atletico Madrid and is determined to play, but no decision was taken on whether he will start or not given that he is just recovering from injury.

Reports yesterday, in fact, relayed that Mbappe still had some pain and that the club were considering giving him painkillers to ensure he could start against Barcelona. The final decision, needless to say, was postponed for later.

Not likely to start

Now, as confirmed by MARCA, a final decision appears to have been made over Mbappe’s participation as the Spanish outlet relays that he will start on the bench against Barcelona.

Instead, young Gonzalo Garcia is leading the race to start the final of the Supercopa de Espana as Real Madrid’s target-man. His hat-trick against Real Betis, after all, proved that he can be a valuable resource as a striker.

Will this be Gonzalo Garcia’s biggest night yet? (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The decision to start Mbappe on the bench likely stems from the fact that Xabi Alonso and Co. do not wish to risk the star striker aggravating his injury by playing through discomfort. 

While he has mostly recovered, one remembers how he played through discomfort against Talavera in the Copa del Rey and aggravated his injury to miss the opening games of 2026. 

Despite starting on the bench, Mbappe is likely to come off the bench for a significant cameo in the game, possibly early in the second half, based on the game situation. Considering how the game will likely be tight, there is a good chance he will be involved.

Nevertheless, it can only be labelled a reasonable decision to start the Frenchman on the bench for his long-term fitness is what should concern Real Madrid.

After all, the Spanish Super Cup is significant but the upcoming La Liga and UEFA Champions League games may well be more important.