Aurelien Tchouameni will replace Eduardo Camavinga in the Real Madrid starting lineup when they take on SL Benfica at Estadio da Luz on Wednesday.
Real Madrid will be eager to retain a spot in the top eight of the UEFA Champions League when they lock horns with SL Benfica at Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night. Alvaro Arbeloa has received a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh), Eder Militao (hamstring), Ferland Mendy (hamstring), and Antonio Rudiger (knee) remain in the treatment room. However, Aurelien Tchouameni is in the travelling squad after missing the league game this past weekend due to a suspension.
Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Arbeloa did not provide a fitness update on any player. However, the Spanish tactician heaped praise on Jude Bellingham and Arda Guler.
The Real Madrid boss said, “Since I arrived, I’ve watched a player with exceptional quality and conditions. Anyone who has seen him [Bellingham] on TV knows that, but up close he is even more surprising. But beyond his footballing quality, I have seen that he wants to be a leader and an example. He is running like nobody’s business. The level and the implication he shows in training?”
“I’m very proud to have a player like Bellingham. He can do a lot of things well. He breaks a lot into space, he has a good finish, a great shot, he reads what the game needs. He’s young, but at the same time he has a lot of experience. I think he’s going to be a cornerstone of this Real Madrid team for many years to come.”
On Guler, the Real Madrid boss said, “Right now I can talk about what I’m experiencing. He [Guler] is a kid with a lot of talent, vision, last pass, great change of direction. He’s a threat that we need to exploit more. He is very young and has a lot of improvement, but he is working very hard. The defensive involvement he has is being great.”
“What we want is to take advantage of the talent he has. He can do it closer to the defenders to help us when they press high, also a little closer to the strikers to give the last pass… In all these situations, he will have to continue to grow and, when the most demanding games come, he will surely help us. As time goes by, he is a football player who is going to be very important at world football level, if he isn’t already.”
Thibaut Courtois is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against SL Benfica on Wednesday. The backline will feature Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni will replace Eduardo Camavinga, joining Arda Guler and Jude Bellingham in the middle of the park. Finally, Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for the away side against Benfica, with Vinicius Junior and Franco Mastantuono being the two wide attackers. So, Rodrygo, Camavinga, and Brahim Diaz will be backup options on the bench.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Tchouameni, Bellingham, Guler; Mastantuono, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior
