Kylian Mbappe in jeopardy for El Clasico due to thigh strain at Real Madrid

Los Blancos announced that the France skipper has a tear in the semitendinosus muscle of his left thigh, following his early departure in the 1-1 stalemate with Real Betis in La Liga on Friday.

Currently sitting second in the Spanish elite division, 11 points adrift of Barcelona at the top, Madrid will play Espanyol this Sunday prior to the showdown with the Catalan club the week after.

At first, Real Madrid suggested Mbappe was dealing with just a muscle strain, yet additional scans confirmed the star forward, their leading marksman, has a genuine injury.

Should Madrid fail to secure a win against Espanyol in his absence and Barcelona overcome Osasuna on Saturday, the team under Hansi Flick would secure the title for the second year running.

This campaign has seen Mbappe plagued by fitness woes, raising alarms in his national team ahead of the World Cup kicking off on 11 June in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The 27 year old, who triumphed in the 2018 World Cup, endured a knee problem that sidelined him for two months, his longest spell out, and he confessed it sparked feelings of frustration, rage and worry.