“This is very ugly” - Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti makes feelings clear when asked about Kylian Mbappe having ‘mental problems’
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has made his feelings clear regarding Kylian Mbappe having mental problems. This comes amidst concerns about the superstar's run of form, which has seen him struggle to score goals or provide serious attacking quality for Los Blancos.
Kylian Mbappe joined the Spanish giants on a free transfer in the summer to much fanfare. However, he has failed to live up to expectations so far. Although the French forward has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga games, three of those goals have come from the penalty spot. He has also created just one assist in those 11 games.
Ahead of Real Madrid's La Liga match against Leganes at Estadio Municipal de Butarque tomorrow (November 24), Carlo Ancelotti spoke to the press. He was asked about Mbappe's mental health situation but the manager was not happy about this, responding (via MadridXtra on X):
"Kylian Mbappe has mental problems? What a question. I see him happy. You speculating about this... this is very ugly."
These questions have been raised due to his sub-par goalscoring form, and Mbappe will look to respond to doubters when he faces Leganes.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti promises an end to Kylian Mbappe's goal drought
The manager has also promised that the 25-year-old, who has failed to score a goal in over a month, will end his goalscoring drought. Mbappe has not scored since their 2-1 league win over Celta de Vigo, which took place on October 19.
This has been a cause for concern for the club but Ancelotti has promised that things will change. He told the press (via Reuters):
"It happens to all great strikers, he can get frustrated but that's not his case. I see him motivated and happy to train with his teammates. Sooner or later, he will break that streak of games in which he hasn't scored goals."
"Tomorrow, he will have a great game because it is just a matter of time. He has incredible quality and sooner or later he will show it."
Kylian Mbappe will hope an improved performance against Leganes can be a start to turning his fortunes around. However, other questions have been raised about his positioning, with the superstar notably performing at his best on the left flank while at Paris Saint-Germain.
In Real Madrid, he seems to be struggling with playing in the striker's role, with Vinicius Jr starting as the left winger. However, Ancelotti revealed that positioning was not a problem, telling the press:
"Mbappe and Vinicius don't have a fixed position on the pitch. It all depends on the match."
The manager will hope he can bring out the best in his players and drive Real Madrid towards a much more impressive run of form in the coming weeks.