The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is heating up, but Real Madrid fans are gutted to learn that their star forward, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, won\u2019t be taking the field against Pachuca on June 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina. This Group H showdown is a big one, and Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s absence is a hot topic. So, what\u2019s keeping the French superstar out of this crucial match? Let\u2019s break it down.<\/p>\n
Kylian\u2019s down with a rough case of acute gastroenteritis<\/strong>, a brutal stomach bug that had him in a Miami hospital earlier this week. Word from Marca and Real Madrid\u2019s camp is that he needed tests and some serious TLC. He\u2019s out of the hospital now, but he\u2019s not quite ready to run around in Charlotte\u2019s insane 35\u00b0C heat with humidity that feels like a sauna. The guy\u2019s human, not a machine, so the club\u2019s playing it safe.<\/p>\n Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s no small loss. The guy\u2019s been a goal-scoring machine, racking up 43 goals this season and clinching both the European Golden Shoe and La Liga\u2019s Pichichi Trophy. Without him, Real Madrid\u2019s attack takes a hit, especially after their lackluster draw against Al Hilal. The team\u2019s also dealing with other injuries\u2014Endrick\u2019s out with a hamstring issue, and defenders like Dani Carvajal and \u00c9der Milit\u00e3o are sidelined. Thankfully, Antonio R\u00fcdiger is back to bolster the defense.<\/p>\n Stepping up in Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s place is 21-year-old academy star Gonzalo Garc\u00eda<\/strong>, who scored against Al Hilal and is set to lead the line against Pachuca. Fans are also looking to Vin\u00edcius Jr. and Jude Bellingham to bring some magic. Alonso\u2019s been clear: \u201cVini needs to be the difference-maker.\u201d It\u2019s a tall order, but this squad\u2019s got depth.<\/p>\n Pachuca, fresh off a 2-1 loss to Salzburg, will be no pushover. The Mexican side, led by Salom\u00f3n Rond\u00f3n and managed by interim boss Jaime Lozano, is hungry for an upset. Real Madrid beat Pachuca 3-0 in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final last December, but without Mbapp\u00e9 and with Pachuca\u2019s new energy, this match could be tighter.<\/p>\n The good news? Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s recovery is on track. Alonso hinted he could be back for the Salzburg game, saying, \u201cWe\u2019re hopeful he\u2019ll be ready soon.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is heating up, but Real Madrid fans are gutted to learn that their star\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":217,"featured_media":36655,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[449],"class_list":["post-15596","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-kylian-mbappe"],"reading_time":"3 min read","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15596","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/217"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15596"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15596\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15596"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15596"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.businessupturn.com\/sports\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15596"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}How Mbapp\u00e9\u2019s Absence Affects Real Madrid<\/h2>\n
Real Madrid vs. Pachuca: What to Expect<\/h2>\n
When Will Mbapp\u00e9 Return?<\/h2>\n