Mbappe to be available for El Clásico

Injured stars Kylian Mbappé, Ibrahima Konaté and Federico Valverde are all expected to be available when Real Madrid face LaLiga title rivals Barcelona in El Clásico on October 25, a source has told ESPN.

Mbappé suffered a knee injury in France’s UEFA Nations League game with Turkey last Friday and Konaté picked up a knee problem in training last week, while Valverde hurt his ankle in Madrid’s derby defeat to Atletico before the international break.

A source told ESPN that midfielder Valverde is set to feature when LaLiga returns next week — with Madrid hosting Villarreal on October 10 — but the availability of Mbappé and Konaté is less clear-cut.

Madrid confirmed on Saturday that Mbappé had sustained a “hyperextension of the posterior capsule of his left knee” after scoring in France’s 1-0 win in Turkey last weekend.

A source told ESPN that the player’s own ongoing assessment of his condition — and the extent to which he feels pain — will help determine when he returns to action.

While centre-back Konaté’s knee ligament problem isn’t considered serious, the club will consider whether he returns against Villarreal, or if they choose to adopt a more conservative approach.

After the Villarreal match, Madrid travel to Roma in the Champions League on October 14, host Sevilla on October 18, and play RB Leipzig on October 21, before visiting Barcelona the following weekend.

Madrid are confident that Mbappé, Konaté and Valverde will all be fit for the game at Camp Nou, the source said.

Éder Militão could be back at the end of October, although it is doubtful whether he will have reached the necessary level of match fitness to take part in El Clásico.

ALSO READ: Why I won’t play for France until 41 — Mbappe

Militao is back in training this week after undergoing surgery in April, which saw him miss the World Cup.

Two more long-term absentees, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo, will also not be available for selection.