Rodrygo and Eder Militao will return, while Thibaut Courtois will take his place in the Real Madrid goal against Celta Vigo at Balaidos on Saturday night.
Real Madrid will look to embark on a winning run and build momentum ahead of next week’s El Clasico when they lock horns with Celta Vigo at Balaidos on Saturday night. And Carlo Ancelotti has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Thibaut Courtois has shrugged off his knock to return to the travelling squad this weekend. However, Dani Carvajal has played his final game of the 2024/25 season after picking up a season-ending knee injury. The Spanish international accompanies David Alaba (knee) and Brahim Diaz (leg) on the sidelines.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti spoke about Carvajal and his loss during his pre-match press conference. In addition, the Italian tactician discussed Kylian Mbappe’s fitness. He said, “We feel sorry for him. He’s a very important figure and for the next few months we have lost him as a player, but not as a leader in the dressing room. He’ll be here and he’ll be working with us. We’re going to use his head, which is just as important as his physical strength.”
The Real Madrid manager said on Mbappe, “He’s used the break to work on his fitness and recover from his injury. He’s happy and eager to play and to play an important role. These 15 days have helped him a lot because he’s a different player to before the break.”
“I think he is close to 100%. He’s doing very well and it’s a pleasure to watch him train. On a tactical level, his position doesn’t change. He can switch with Vini Jr. on the left wing, but we’ve focused on fitness work. He’s looking very good and this break has been very good for him.”
Ancelotti suggested that Rodrygo and Federico Valverde might not be ready to take on Celta Vigo after returning late from international duty. However, we feel both players will line up for Real Madrid against Celta Vigo on Saturday, with the former joining Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior in the final third.
As for Valverde, he will form the midfield trifecta alongside Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham. The backline should see two changes, with Lucas Vazquez and Eder Militao joining Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy in the defensive quartet. Finally, Thibaut Courtois will replace Andriy Lunin between the sticks on Saturday.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Mbappe, Vinicius
