Real Madrid's Ancelotti tight-lipped on Mbappe's UEFA Super Cup role

Kylian Mbappe could make his debut for Real Madrid when the Champions League winners face Europa League titleholders Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup on Wednesday, but coach Carlo Ancelotti refused to be drawn into revealing whether the French forward would start the game.

Mbappe, 25, landed in the Spanish capital last week to start training with the team after joining the club as a free agent on a five-year deal in June, ending a transfer saga that had rumbled on for years.

"Mbappe has arrived well, just like the other players who joined last week," Ancelotti said in a press conference on Tuesday. "We haven't had much time to train, but we are doing very well, and Kylian has also arrived in good shape. He is adapting very well. Obviously everyone who is here can play tomorrow."

The Italian coach had previously said, after one of the team's recent U.S. friendlies, that the players who won the Champions League should play in the Super Cup.

Ancelotti, however, did not rule out the French striker making an appearance at some stage.

When asked whether Mbappe could be assigned penalty-taking duties, the manager said that job would only be given to a player who starts the game.

"Mbappe is a penalty taker. He does it very well," Ancelotti said. "(But) Bellingham has done well in the European Championship and (Federico) Valverde was spectacular in the Copa America. So we have a lot of penalty takers. I have to pick one of them for tomorrow's game. Obviously, I have to pick one that will start the game."

Real, who have clinched five Super Cups so far, have a chance to become the competition's standalone leaders ahead of Spanish arch-rivals Barcelona and Italian side AC Milan, who have also won five times.

Madrid could also make history this season if they open their campaign with a win, as seven titles will be up for grabs for the very first time, thanks to FIFA's new Intercontinental Cup.

"As always, we're starting the season with all the excitement and desire," Ancelotti added. "It's the first title of a season that is going to be very demanding, but can also be very successful. We want to start it well. We are aware of the difficulties, but I see the team in good shape, motivated to play a great game."

The stakes will be high for Atalanta against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, but coach Gian Piero Gasperini believes they can pull off another surprise.

"On paper, we're even more of an underdog than we were against Leverkusen, who were coming into the (Europa League final) game unbeaten in an entire season," Gasperini told a press conference on Tuesday. "Real Madrid will be an even greater hurdle, but that means we're even more motivated. It doesn't happen often, but you can overturn the odds in football."

Atalanta will face an extra challenge in Warsaw, however, after traveling to the Polish capital without injured striker Gianluca Scamacca. The Italian forward, who scored six goals in their winning Europa League campaign, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a 4-1 pre-season friendly loss to Parma on August 4 and could be out of action for at least six months.

The club will also be without Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners who, according to Italian media reports, is nearing a move to rivals Juventus.