logo
Too soon to say if Mbappe will start against Dortmund, Alonso says

Too soon to say if Mbappe will start against Dortmund, Alonso says

The Sun7 hours ago
IT is too soon to say whether Kylian Mbappe will start in Real Madrid's Club World Cup quarter-final match against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, coach Xabi Alonso said, as the French forward continues his recovery from gastroenteritis.
Mbappe made his tournament debut on Tuesday as Real Madrid edged Juventus 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals after missing all of the group stage.
'He's getting better. He's been improving over the last three days,' Alonso told reporters at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday. 'Tomorrow morning we will be deciding if he will be part of the initial 11.'
Mbappe came off the bench as a substitute in the second half of the Spanish side's 1-0 win over Juventus in Miami on Tuesday, earning wild applause in a scene that underscored his global appeal at the U.S.-hosted tournament.
Mbappe was briefly hospitalised early in the tournament, isolated from his teammates as he recovered.
Alonso's team have leaned on Gonzalo Garcia to deputise in his absence, as the 21-year-old academy graduate has recorded three goals - including Tuesday's winner - and an assist in a breakout performance at the competition.
'I think (Garcia and Mbappe) could complement each other and if it's something that is required, it's not something I'm going to turn a blind eye to,' said Alonso.
They face a Dortmund team in solid form on Saturday, after the German side held off a stirring second-half fightback from Monterrey 2-1 this week to book their spot in the final eight.
'Dortmund is a very good team. As soon as (coach Niko Kovac) was at the helm, they were growing and developing and on the rise,' said Alonso. 'We are facing a tough opponent... It's gonna be tight tomorrow.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rugby-All Blacks hold off depleted France 31-27 in Dunedin thriller
Rugby-All Blacks hold off depleted France 31-27 in Dunedin thriller

The Star

time33 minutes ago

  • The Star

Rugby-All Blacks hold off depleted France 31-27 in Dunedin thriller

(Reuters) -Will Jordan scored a try in each half and Beauden Barrett kicked to perfection as the All Blacks overcame three cancelled tries to claim a nervous 31-27 win over France in the series-opener in Dunedin on Saturday. Fielding only three players from the Six Nations title-deciding win over Scotland, the depleted French gave Scott Robertson's team a huge scare in an entertaining match at sold-out Forsyth-Barr stadium. But a late Barrett penalty proved enough for the All Blacks to hold on, snapping a three-match losing streak against Les Bleus. "Just a typical test match against the French for us," said Jordan, who was denied a hat-trick try by the television match official (TMO). "A couple of errors cost us ... But we showed good composure to finish it off in the end there." The All Blacks lost Sevu Reece to a head-knock less than a minute in when the winger clattered into a French hip, forcing Robertson into a backline rejig and Damian McKenzie to play at fullback off the bench. The French had a better start, with debutant flyhalf Joris Segonds booting a penalty in the seventh minute after winger Gabin Villiere won a turnover penalty. France charged out to a 10-0 lead as fullback Theo Attissogbe made a break down the left wing, centre-captain Gael Fickou drove the ball to the line and number eight Mickael Guillard crossed by the right post. Chastened, the All Blacks hit back hard. A Jordie Barrett try was denied by a knock-on the buildup but minutes later his brothers combined for their first legal try. Scott Barrett charged down a French clearing kick behind the 22-metre line before Beauden put Jordan over at the right corner with a superb, loop pass. McKenzie kept the momentum for the hosts, shrugging off four would-be tacklers with a jinking run to the posts before Tupou Vaa'i barged over to put the All Blacks four points up. The Barrett brothers struck again on the cusp of half-time, this time with centre Jordie touching down at the right corner after quick hands from Beauden and Jordan. The All Blacks' 21-13 halftime lead all but disappeared within minutes of the restart, though, as Rieko Ioane spilled the kick-off ball forward to gift France a scrum deep in attack. Battering away for 16 phases, Segonds spread the ball wide to Villiere who jogged through a gaping hole in the All Blacks' line on the right side. The try-fest continued as Jordan burst through two defenders to cross for his second, with Beauden Barrett again setting up the chance. Fresh off the bench, France lock Cameron Woki then crossed under the posts to peg back the All Blacks again. The pendulum swung back to the hosts with Villiere shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. A minute later, All Blacks centre Billy Proctor stretched an arm over the line -- only for the try to be cancelled as replays showed an illegal grounding of the ball. The undermanned French soon buckled again, with Jordan crossing for his hat-trick try in the 63rd minute. But it was erased by the TMO who spotted prop Pasilio Tosi obstructing a French defender in the buildup. France will have reinforcements for the second and third tests in Wellington and Hamilton. France's debutant lock Tyler Duguid said his team performed well after being widely written off. "It feels good. There was a lot of outside noise that we'd come out, we'd take 50 (points)," he said. "But I thought we showed a lot of spirit." (Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; editing by Pritha Sarkar)

Terengganu sign fiery French striker
Terengganu sign fiery French striker

New Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • New Straits Times

Terengganu sign fiery French striker

KUALA LUMPUR: Terengganu today unveiled their newest weapon for the 2025-2026 M-League season — the French-born striker Yann Kevin Mabella. The 29-year-old is fresh off a red-hot season with Racing FC Union Luxembourg, where he netted 22 goals in 29 appearances. The 1.83m Mabella, who has signed a one-year deal with the Turtles, said: "I think my style of play is about intensity and energy. I bring a lot of speed, I make runs, I spin, I defend when needed." Mabella, whose birthday is Feb 22, will wear the No. 11 jersey for Terengganu. "My birthday is on the 22nd, but that number isn't available, so I'll go with 11, two times 11 is 22," quipped Mabella who has also represented Congo, including in Africa Cup qualifiers.

Brazil starlet Estevao 'ready' for Chelsea move: Palmeiras coach
Brazil starlet Estevao 'ready' for Chelsea move: Palmeiras coach

The Sun

time3 hours ago

  • The Sun

Brazil starlet Estevao 'ready' for Chelsea move: Palmeiras coach

PALMEIRAS coach Abel Ferreira said he believes teenage prodigy Estevao Willian is ready to take the leap to the Premier League after he marked his farewell appearance for the Brazilian club with a goal against future employers Chelsea on Friday. Estevao, 18, scored a fantastic equaliser in the Club World Cup quarter-final between the teams in Philadelphia but could not prevent Chelsea claiming a 2-1 win thanks to a late own-goal. He will now complete a move to the London club, finally heading to England just over a year after Chelsea agreed to pay Palmeiras a reported 57 million euros ($67.1m), including bonuses, for him. 'I don't have sons, I have two daughters, but he is my son,' Ferreira said after the match at Lincoln Financial Field, adding that he had exchanged words with Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca about Estevao. 'I spoke before with Maresca. He is a nice coach, and I told him that they bought an amazing player but more than this they bought an amazing person. 'He is an amazing player and I said that they need to take care of him and embrace him because for sure in the beginning he will make mistakes, but you saw today that he is a player with a lot of skills who can win a game on his own. He has that capacity.' Estevao was named the best player in the Brazilian league last year and has shown plenty of glimpses of his potential at the Club World Cup. Now he must try to win a place in the Chelsea team in the face of stiff competition, with Maresca having a wide array of attacking options at his disposal. 'For sure he will need the support of the coach and directors because he is young and it is the first time he is leaving his country,' Ferreira added. 'I told him it won't be the same because the sun comes out two or three times a year, the night comes early, but I believe Chelsea have all the conditions to support him. 'He is a fantastic player and I think he is ready.' 'Huge talent' Ferreira, the Portuguese coach who has been in charge of Palmeiras since 2020, earlier hugged Estevao in front of reporters, with the player smiling despite the disappointment of his team's exit. Maresca said: 'I spoke to Estevao for the first time after the game and told him it was the perfect night because we won and he scored. 'You can see he is a huge talent, a fantastic player, and the only thing for me is that when you come from South America or in general another part of the world to Europe, you need to adapt. 'So we need to help him to adapt and first of all to be happy, continue to enjoy football, but we don't have any doubt because he is such a good player that he is going to be a very important player for Chelsea.' Another future Chelsea player, Jamie Gittens, was in attendance in Philadelphia with the England Under-21 international winger joining from Borussia Dortmund. 'Jamie was here tonight and was on the pitch and will be with us for probably another day or two,' Maresca said. 'He will then go on holiday and come back when we start the new season.'-AFP

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store