In just over a week, Real Madrid and Barcelona will meet in the first Clasico of the 2025–26 season. The match is set for Sunday, October 26, at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium as part of Matchday 10 in La Liga. With such a high-stakes game approaching, Los Blancos are closely monitoring the recovery of several players who’ve been dealing with physical issues — among them, Kylian Mbappe and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Mbappe scored a goal but had to be subbed off due to physical discomfort during France’s match against Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifiers. A knock to his ankle forced him out of that game and later kept him from playing in the 2–2 draw against Iceland.
Fortunately, the precautions taken by the French national team appear to have prevented a more serious injury, and upon returning to Spain, the forward seems fit to play. In fact, ESPN reports that Mbappe is expected to feature in Sunday’s La Liga match against Getafe.
Franco Mastantuono is in a similar situation. The young winger traveled to the United States during the October international break to train with Argentina, but muscle soreness kept him out of the match against Venezuela on Friday. As a precaution, he returned to Spain early and also missed the second friendly against Puerto Rico. He now appears ready to play against Getafe.
Franco Mastantuono, Real Madrid winger.
Huijsen also dealing with fitness problems
The encouraging updates on Kylian Mbappe and Mastantuono do not extend to other members of the squad. Another player who returned early from the FIFA break was Dean Huijsen, who missed both of Spain’s World Cup qualifiers due to a soleus injury in his left leg.
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Huijsen will not be available for the Getafe match but is expected to be fully recovered in time for next Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League clash against Juventus. Barring setbacks, he should also be ready to face Barcelona.
More injury doubts for Real Madrid
The outlook is less optimistic for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal. The English defender has now been out for exactly one month following the muscle injury he sustained in the Champions League opener against Olympique Marseille. The Spanish fullback, meanwhile, suffered his injury 20 days ago in the derby against Atletico Madrid.
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According to ESPN, reports suggest both players have a chance to return in time for El Clasico, but it’s unlikely that either will be fit enough to start. As a result, questions remain about the right-back position, with Federico Valverde now a serious option to fill the role.
Lastly, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy are also expected to miss the Barcelona match. Both players are continuing their recovery processes and are being managed carefully with the aim of being fully fit for the second half of the season.
