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Real Madrid have confirmed that Kylian Mbappe is in hospital receiving treatment for gastroenteritis whilst the team are in America for the Club World Cup.
The French striker missed Madrid's opening 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal after what was described as a "viral outbreak" and now faces a race against time to be fit for Sunday's match against Pachuca.
Manager Xabi Alonso admitted after the Saudi Pro League clash that Mbappe was battling an infection and couldn't say when he'd be back. Alonso said:
We still don't know if he'll be ready for the next match. He's been dealing with a serious viral infection. We'll monitor his progress closely in the coming days.
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These comments came despite Alonso earlier saying Mbappe was "feeling a little better, but not good enough" to play.
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On Thursday afternoon, Madrid released a short statement about Mbappe's health on their website:
Our player Kylian Mbappe has acute gastroenteritis and has been hospitalized for various tests and treatment.
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Gastroenteritis usually clears up within a few days but can drag on for a week or more in severe cases. It's normally caused by a bacterial infection or stomach bug and leads to sickness and diarrhoea.
Mbappe's move to Real Madrid
Mbappe is Madrid's biggest star signing after joining from PSG for free last summer. He scored 43 goals in 56 games across all competitions in his debut season.
Kylian Mbappe
He mostly avoided injuries last term but did miss a couple of matches with hamstring and muscle problems.
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Alonso replaced Mbappe with 21-year-old striker Gonzalo Garcia, who scored for Madrid in the first half before Ruben Neves' penalty earned Al-Hilal a draw.