Who is Gonzalo García? This is the Real Madrid striker playing today against Betis

He had been holding out for several weeks, but Kylian Mbappé’s left knee has finally given way. “Sprain in the left knee,” reads the medical report released by Real Madrid. The estimated recovery time will depend on the injury’s progress and the player’s overall condition. For now, he will miss the first match of the year against Betis on Sunday, 4 January, at 4:15 pm. Some sources suggest he will be sidelined for around three weeks, which would put him in line to return just in time to face Monaco on 20 January at 3:00 pm, the club where he first made his name.

Gonzalo García will be his replacement. After Endrick’s loan move to Lyon and Mbappé’s injury, he is the only attacking option available to Xabi Alonso for a demanding first month of the year, with fixtures across four competitions. There is La Liga, the Spanish Super Cup from 8 to 11 January, provided Madrid reach the final, and the next round of the Copa del Rey.

The draw for the round of 16 will be held on 7 January, with ties scheduled between the 13th and 15th. Madrid’s opponent will come from Burgos, Albacete, Cultural Leonesa, Racing or Deportivo. This will be followed immediately by the Super Cup.

There are also the final two Champions League matches of the league phase: the aforementioned clash with Monaco on the 20th and the trip to Lisbon to face Mourinho’s Benfica on Wednesday 28 January at 3:00 pm, a unified matchday. In between, after the Betis match, Madrid host Levante on Saturday the 17th at 8:00 am and travel to face Villarreal, with the date still to be confirmed. And that’s just the start of January.

Now, the weight of Real Madrid’s attack will fall on Gonzalo’s shoulders. He is just 21 years old, stands 1.85 metres tall and weighs 81 kilos. He made a strong impression at the Club World Cup, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with four goals, the same tally as Di María of Benfica, Marcos Leonardo of Al Hilal and Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund. Gonzalo claimed the Golden Boot thanks to having one more assist than the other scorers. However, he has yet to score in La Liga.

He has accumulated 170 minutes across 13 league appearances, with just one start, against Espanyol in a 2-0 win. He is among the players with the fewest minutes in the squad across all competitions, ahead only of Lunin, Alaba, Endrick, Mendy, David Jiménez, Valdepeñas and Cestero.

Interestingly, Gonzalo’s initial opportunity came when Mbappé suffered a physical setback during the Club World Cup. The French forward was battling gastroenteritis, lost up to seven kilos, was even hospitalised, and missed the first three matches of the tournament. It is true that Gonzalo’s goal against Leganés helped Madrid progress to the next round in February 2025, an unstoppable header.

Ancelotti subsequently called him up, but it was in the United States where he truly shone. He scored four goals in different ways against Al Hilal, Salzburg, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund, and also set up Arda Güler in the second match of the tournament against Pachuca. Against elite opposition, he showed maturity, composure and a natural goalscoring instinct well beyond his years, along with the confidence to operate inside the penalty area.

From Sunday onwards, he will have another opportunity, and a huge one. It is the option Xabi Alonso is considering following Endrick’s loan move to Lyon until the end of the season. Endrick, who had shown flashes of his potential in limited minutes, chose to leave in search of regular playing time and with the 2026 World Cup in mind.

With Real Madrid unwilling to sign another striker, the only certainty is that Gonzalo will lead the line as the number nine. How long that role will last remains unknown, but for now, a significant share of Madrid’s attacking responsibility rests squarely on his shoulders.