Kylian Mbappe ruled out of crucial La Liga trip to Getafe due to injury as Real Madrid striker faces race against time to recover for Copa del Rey final clash with Barcelona

The 25-year-old limped off in the 75th minute of Real's 2-1 second leg defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals after an awkward tumble during a physical challenge with Declan Rice. Mbappe was left visibly in pain and had to be substituted, with Brahim Diaz taking his place on the pitch.

In the absence of their talismanic forward, Los Blancos were forced to dig deep during their home fixture against Athletic Club on Sunday - which Mbappe was suspended for anyway. It was midfielder Federico Valverde who stepped up in dramatic fashion, netting a stoppage-time goal that secured a hard-fought 1-0 win.

Speaking ahead of the Getafe game on Wednesday night, Real boss Carlo Ancelotti provided an update on Mbappe and left-back Ferland Mendy: "They are not ready just yet, but they will train over the next few days. I believe both should be fit by Saturday."

Mbappe has now gone five matches without finding the back of the net - a rare dry spell for a player of his calibre. The Bernabeu crowd made their feelings known when Mbappe came up on the big screen at the Bernabeu during the Athletic game.

However, amid the jeers and whistles, Ancelotti was quick to defend his player and said: "He is upset because he wants to help the team. He is doing everything he can to recover and be there on Saturday.”

While Mbappe’s recent struggles in front of goal have raised eyebrows, there is no denying the weight his presence carries in high-stakes games. The upcoming Copa del Rey final could be a defining moment in his first season with Real Madrid, and scoring a decisive goal against arch-rivals Barcelona would etch his name into Madrid folklore alongside the likes of Cristiano Ronado and Gareth Bale.