WARSAW: Kylian Mbapp茅 appears ready to make his debut for Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said the France striker arrived in good shape following the European Championship and was adapting well to the team after a week of practice.
Mbapp茅 鈥渃ould play tomorrow,鈥� Ancelotti said Tuesday at a news conference at the National Stadium in Warsaw where the match will be played.
The 25-year-old Mbappe is the biggest draw in the Polish capital after finally joining Madrid following a drawn-out saga with his former club, Paris Saint-Germain. He was introduced to the club鈥檚 fans at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium last month but wasn鈥檛 part of the squad on their US tour while he rested after Euro 2024.
He joins a slew of world-class forward at Madrid, including Vin铆cius J煤nior, another new signing in Brazil striker Endrick, Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo and Arda Guler.
Ancelotti joked he had a 鈥渉uge problem鈥� and that thinking about who might play up front 鈥渉as ruined my holidays.鈥�
鈥淭he simplest thing,鈥� the 65-year-old Ancelotti said, 鈥渋s to know that good players are always going to play and are always going to bring something in.
鈥淭here are no problems for us because there are so many games. I can鈥檛 think I am going to have to count on the same 11 players for 70-something games.鈥�
Asked whether Mbapp茅鈥檚 arrival had changed the atmosphere in the locker room, Ancelotti said through a translator: 鈥淚t is a very clean, healthy atmosphere, the kind of atmosphere created by players who have been here like (the recently departed) Nacho Fernandez, Dani Carvajal, (Luka) Modric, (Federico) Valverde. There are no princes or kings here.鈥�
Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperino want all of Madrid鈥檚 superstars to play against his team.
鈥淔or me it is fundamental that the team play a good game without thinking about who is there and who isn鈥檛,鈥� Gasperini said.
鈥淚 hope the best play, because only with the strongest can you try to gain the maximum respect.鈥�
The Italian team will start as the underdog, like they were before beating Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final to win the club鈥檚 first European title and first trophy in 61 years.
But Gasperini said Atalanta were not deterred.
鈥淲e come with our usual enthusiasm, our usual eagerness to try to impress,鈥� he said.
The Super Cup is an annual match between the winners of last season鈥檚 Champions League and the second-tier Europa League.