El Classico will happen in 2 weeks. Exactly on matchday 11, El Classico will be held at Bernabeu. It'll be a high tension game again and again. This will be a very balanced and tight match, although many Real Madrid players are currently injured. but all will play with totality for this high tension and prestige match.
Aside from Carvajal who recently got an out-of-the-season injury over the weekend, no other Real Madrid player is injured. Real Madrid just employed those tactics to keep them from travelling for the international break so they will be well-rested.
Mbappe did not go to France, they claimed he was not fit, but he played against Lille and started against Villareal. Vinicius and Militao didn't go to Brazil either.
I can't blame Real Madrid for using these antics, the players need to be protected since we're entering the heat of the season. They need to refresh and get themselves back. the problem is, nobody cares because its Real Madrid, if it was another club, the media would have come hard on them. They did the same thing in the last international break and they're doing it again now.
Good analysis and I don't know whether it was the right call to leave Mbappe at home, I really don't know. But everyone knows that Mbappe is far away from his best level. Something is going on and he can't deliver what everyone expected from him. But I have to reaffirm that Mbappe is playing bullshit most of the time since he came from PSG. It is not his game so far and nobody understands what the issue is. Even Ancelotti doesn't know, but he would not let the public know. Mbappe is out of shape in my opinion. I remember his games at the World Cup when he went furious and destroyed the opponent. For some reason he can't do it at the moment although he has all these top players around him feeding him with opportunities.