AS: Mbappé's return means one of Gonzalo, Vinícius, and Rodrygo must make way

According to AS, with Mbappé returning from injury and likely to start in the Supercopa de España final, Alonso now faces a happy dilemma.

In the first game of 2026, Kylian Mbappé was absent due to injury. In Real Madrid's match against Betis, youth academy prodigy Gonzalo García stepped up to the challenge, filling the Frenchman's void with a stunning performance. The homegrown striker scored a hat-trick, proving with his goals that he deserves more playing time.

He also took this opportunity to speak up for himself - previously, the team lost points in key matches against Rayo Vallecano, Elche, Girona, and Celta, thus relinquishing the league's top spot. During that period, Gonzalo's cumulative playing time was only 43 minutes, and his playing time this season has just exceeded 400 minutes so far. 

Outstanding performances combined with Kylian Mbappé's injury absence allowed Gonzalo to naturally make the starting lineup for the semi-final of the Supercopa de España against Atlético Madrid, where he formed a frontline trident with Rodrygo and Vinícius. Although limited by the team's overall poor offensive form, Gonçalo failed to leave many eye-catching performances in the game, but he ran actively throughout the game and never slacked off in high-pressure pressing, which is exactly his consistent playing style.

Real Madrid ultimately advanced to the final smoothly. Gonzalo had already secured his starting spot against Barcelona, but news came that Mbappé had set off for Riyadh, and the French star will strive for a chance to play in the final.

After the team's 5-1 rout of Betis, Alonso heaped praise on Gonzalo: "I'm really happy for him. He has always worked extremely hard in daily training, and his attitude is impeccable whether he plays or not. He is an excellent role model for Real Madrid youth academy players, and he deserves this opportunity. I hope he can continue to maintain this form. As long as players work hard enough, they will get playing time. The coach's arrangements have rewards and punishments, and getting a starting position means your training attitude and competitive state meet the standards."

Alonso also specifically praised Gonzalo's pressing ability in the frontcourt, which happens to be the weakness of Mbappé and Vinícius: "Now the whole team is emphasizing high pressing, and the forwards especially need to shoulder the responsibility of the first line of defense. In this regard, Gonzalo's understanding is very accurate."

Four drivers on the same stage? Alonso leaves a suspense 

Obviously, at this stage, Gonzalo can provide what Alonso needs for Real Madrid, which is also the reason why he is highly appreciated by the head coach. However, with Mbappé's return from injury, Gonzalo will most likely yield his starting position.

But this is not a foregone conclusion: Vinicius has been in poor form recently, and his on-field performance has raised external doubts; while Rodrygo, although in hot form recently with 3 goals and 3 assists in the past six games, left the semi-final against Atlético Madrid injured, and there are doubts about whether he can make it to the final. If all three players remain in good health, Gonçalo is indeed the most likely to be the substitute, but the current uncertainties have made the competition for a starting spot among these three players full of suspense. 

However, when asked whether he would arrange for all four to appear simultaneously, Alonso didn't rule it out: "Why not? The final starting lineup is up to me. The season is long, and we need to make adjustments based on different game situations and tactical requirements. Anything is possible."