Carlo Ancelotti has said that Kylian Mbappé's injury means he'll be missing from the Madrid derby, but it won't make a big difference to how his Real Madrid team plays on Sunday.

Mbappé – the French captain,who has already scored five league goals this season – is expected to be out for around three weeks with a thigh injury picked up during Madrid's 3-2 LaLiga win over Alavés on Tuesday.

Madrid are going into the game against Atlético at the Metropolitano on a 39-game unbeaten run in La Liga. Their last defeat was in September 2023, in the same fixture.

"Obviously without Mbappé, it changes a bit, but not a lot," Ancelotti told a news conference on Saturday. "We're used to playing without him. Last year he wasn't here. It's a shame that he's not here for this game, but I think we can deal with his absence well."

Ancelotti said that Mbappé's absence would not necessarily mean a switch from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 formation.

"I don't focus much on the system," he said. "A 4-3-3 can change. You can have a 4-4-2 with the same players. Adding an extra midfielder doesn't mean 4-4-2 , or an extra forward 4-3-3. We can play with three forwards in a 4-4-2, with Vinícius [Júnior] or Rodrygo on the right wing. I don't focus on that, I focus on the team playing for each other, with commitment."

Atlético head coach Diego Simeone said Real's most significant absentee would be midfielder Toni Kroos, who retired this summer.

"Our opponent has lost a really important player in midfield, Kroos, necessary in any team to give balance," Simeone said. "I think they're looking for that player who can give them calm, to make the most of all the offensive power they have.

Kylian Mbappé suffered a thigh injury against Alavés on Tuesday and is expected to be out for around three weeks. Ancelotti has his own thoughts on this unexpected injury:"I don't think it will be very different from recent games we've played against them. We've brought in new players, but as for them, whether it's [Luka] Modric, Endrick or [Arda] Güler, Madrid's plan won't change ... Knowing [Ancelotti], I think he'll look to play [Jude] Bellingham as a number 10, or with Modric behind Rodyrgo and Vinícius."

On top of that, Ancelotti said that midfielder Eduardo Camavinga was fit again and could play, but he didn't say if he'd start on Sunday.

Last year's game at the Metropolitano saw Atlético race into a two-goal lead inside the first 20 minutes and go on to win 3-1. "Yes, 100%, we have to avoid the mistakes of last year," Ancelotti said. We've made some defensive improvements. We've picked up a few things from last year.

Madrid are two points ahead of Atlético going into the derby, and both teams are still unbeaten this season.