Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois out for Real Madrid against Espanyol but may return in Barcelona
Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois can't play for Real Madrid against Espanyol but aren't discarded for Barcelona. This weekend, the La Liga title could be decided if Real Madrid cannot get a victory against Espanyol and Barcelona beat Osasuna in Pamplona. For this very important match, Kylian Mbappé and Thibaut Courtois will not be available, according to Marca. Mbappé continues a difficult late part of the season with more injuries. After a knee issue that caused problems in the Champions League, he now has a muscle problem in his left hamstring suffered in the draw with Betis last Friday. The weekend’s outcome may decide whether manager Álvaro Arbeloa could have Mbappé for El Clásico the following Sunday. If Barcelona secures the title, there may not be any rush for the player to feature, given the challenges he has ahead with France. Courtois nears his return The situation looks a bit different for the goalkeeper. Courtois left the Champions League round-of-16 match against Manchester City early. That match was played on March 17, putting him close to a return. Courtois got injured against Manchester City in England (Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images) A thigh injury that was supposed to be just a precautionary substitution ended up requiring a recovery time of around six weeks. Those projections were correct in the end, as he still cannot be in the lineup at full strength. Courtois, unlike Mbappé, seems set to be available for the match against Barcelona no matter what. In his absence, Andriy Lunin has been the goalkeeper, with mixed results as he could not keep a clean sheet in seven matches. Mbappé’s replacement against Espanyol Injuries have hurt Real Madrid’s chances this season, with almost every player missing time. Mbappé will not suit up on Sunday, which opens a spot for three main candidates, with Rodrygo also unavailable. Youth team forward Gonzalo García looks like the most likely replacement for the Frenchman. Brahim Díaz is another potential substitute.