Mbappe out, Mendy working alone as Real Madrid prepare for Athletic

Real Madrid will quickly have to wipe the tears shed from Wednesday night's Champions League quarter-final exit by Arsenal, as they have La Liga action to return to at the weekend. The 'Merengues' host Athletic Club at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night, aiming to cut their four-point deficit to league leaders Barcelona down to one with a win on home soil.

In the preparations ahead of the late kick-off, France duo Kylian Mbappe and Ferland Mendy were both missing team training on Saturday morning. Mbappe, hit with a swollen ankle against the Gunners, will be unavailable for the game after picking up a straight red card for his horror tackle at Deportivo Alaves. He is expected to be fit for the Copa del Rey final against Barca on April 26.

On the other hand, Mendy was present at the Real Madrid Sports City, but trained individually on a separate pitch. The 29-year-old full-back has sat out ten consecutive matches for Carlo Ancelotti after suffering a muscular injury in the biceps femoris of the left leg in the Champions League last 16 win over Atletico Madrid last month.

Mendy is edging closer to his comeback, but is expected to miss his 11th fixture in a row when the Basque side travel to the Spanish capital tomorrow. Elsewhere, back-up goalkeeper Andriy Lunin returned to team training after being ruled out for two weeks with a muscle injury, while long-term absentees Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao did not attend training due to their respective ACL injuries.