Kylian Mbappe facing late fitness test ahead of Copa del Rey final | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappe has required a late fitness test on Saturday morning as he bids to be fit enough to play in the evening’s Copa del Rey final against fierce Real Madrid rivals, Barcelona.

Having already collected the UEFA Super Cup and new FIFA Intercontinental Cup – both just one-off games – this season, but lost the Supercopa de Espana final, the Copa del Rey is a chance to win a more meaningful trophy following Champions League elimination and La Liga disappointment.

But they may have to do it without Mbappe in the starting lineup. The Frenchman has been experiencing ankle discomfort since facing Arsenal in the Champions League earlier this month.

Mbappe was suspended for the recent La Liga win over Athletic Club but then didn't return to the squad against Getafe last time out. He has travelled to Seville with the rest of the squad ahead of the final, but AS has reported that the player "isn't 100%" and was planning to "test" his ankle in the hours before the game. A decision is not expected until late on, with Madrid also tipped to line up in last season's 4-4-2 diamond formation if Mbappe isn't able to start the final.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has already admitted he could return Jude Bellingham to more of an advanced role in search of a fix to Madrid's stuttering forward line.

After completing a La Liga and Champions League double in 2023/24, with Bellingham as a 'number ten' at the apex of a four-man midfield and Vinicius Junior alongside Rodrygo in more central roles, Ancelotti switched things up last summer to accommodate Mbappe. Madrid reverted to a more typical 4-3-3, pushing Vinicius and Rodrygo wider, and Bellingham deeper.

It hasn't got the best out of any of them, which is partly Madrid have tailed off in recent months, and Ancelotti is facing a premature summer exit, a year before his contract is due to expire.