Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that Kylian Mbappé will miss Real Madrid’s upcoming Copa del Rey quarter-final against Leganés due to a bruised calf. The Italian manager also backed the club’s recent complaints about refereeing standards in Spanish football.

The French forward was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge from Espanyol’s Carlos Romero during Madrid’s 1-0 La Liga defeat on Saturday. Romero, who avoided a red card for the foul, went on to score the only goal of the game against the league leaders.

On Monday, Real Madrid sent a formal letter to the Spanish Football Federation, describing officiating in Spain as “rigged” and “completely discredited.”

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Leganés fixture, Ancelotti provided an update on Mbappé’s fitness:

"Mbappé started training today. Yesterday, we gave him an extra day to recover," he said. "He has a bruised calf, he trained normally, but he will not be available for the game tomorrow."

Ancelotti, who described the decision not to send off Romero as “inexplicable” after the match, reiterated his stance.

"We're talking about something that makes no sense—above all, the welfare of the players," he said. "What Madrid is asking for is an explanation, and I think that is completely reasonable. We want to know what happened and why there was no action taken to protect the player."

Madrid’s injury concerns extend beyond Mbappé, with Jude Bellingham also set to miss the Leganés clash due to a knock. Meanwhile, David Alaba has been ruled out for up to three weeks with a thigh injury, further adding to the club’s defensive woes.

Alaba, who only recently returned from a long-term knee injury, will be unavailable for Madrid’s crucial La Liga derby against Atlético Madrid on Saturday. He is also a major doubt for their Champions League play-off tie against Manchester City.

Los Blancos travel to face the Premier League champions in Manchester on 11th February, before hosting the second leg on 19th February.

Antonio Rüdiger is also a serious doubt for the upcoming fixtures due to a thigh injury, leaving young defender Raúl Asencio and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni as Madrid’s likely centre-back pairing. Eder Militão and Dani Carvajal remain long-term absentees in defence.

Ancelotti acknowledged the growing injury crisis but remained optimistic.

"Unfortunately, in the last two days, we've lost two important players—something we did not anticipate," he admitted. "Alaba was ready to play tomorrow as he was feeling good, but now he will be out for 15 to 20 days, as will Rüdiger. We have to manage this situation with the players available to us."