Real Madrid fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief—Kylian Mbappé is expected to suit up for Sunday night's blockbuster El Clásico against Barcelona. The match, set to kick off at 21:00 CEST, carries massive stakes: anything less than a Real Madrid win hands the La Liga title to their archrivals.

Mbappé's availability was in serious doubt after he limped off against Real Betis two-and-a-half weeks ago with a hamstring issue. The French superstar missed training sessions and delayed crucial medical tests, but the latest updates bring good news. After undergoing examinations on Thursday, Mbappé participated in part of the group workout at Valdebebas and finished the session one-on-one with physiotherapists. The results confirmed he avoided a muscle tear, suffering only a strain instead. That diagnosis clears the path for him to feature at Camp Nou, though he's more likely to start on the bench than in the starting XI.

If Mbappé begins as a substitute, manager Carlo Ancelotti—not Álvaro Arbeloa, as an earlier report suggested—will likely turn to Brahim Díaz or Gonzalo García. Díaz has been the preferred option alongside Vinícius Júnior, who has been in red-hot form, scoring all of Real Madrid's last three goals.

This match comes at a critical juncture for Mbappé off the pitch as well. Following a public relations misstep, he's facing mounting pressure at the Santiago Bernabéu. Club president Florentino Pérez is reportedly unimpressed with the forward's recent behavior, while Mbappé's camp had to release a statement downplaying rumors of a training-ground bust-up with a coach. On Sunday, he'll be desperate to deliver a statement performance and ease the tension—but he'll also have one eye on next month's World Cup, making him cautious about risking further injury.