Zinedine Zidane did not name Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Danilo in his 19 man squad as Real Madrid travel to Las Palmas. While Karim Benzema joins them in the absentee list, the striker has returned to training after being sidelined due to a hamstring injury.
With the La Liga title out of reach for the Galacticos, Real Madrid shift their focus on keeping their players free from any injury concerns in a bid to win their eleventh Champions League trophy. Their campaign was derailed due to a string of injuries suffered by key members of the squad.
Kroos, Rodriguez and Danilo out of the squad
While there hasn’t been any official notification with regards to injury concerns, Toni Kroos, James Rodriguez and Danilo were left out of the squad against Las Palmas. It seems that Zidane is keen to give the trio a well-deserved rest following a 2-0 win over AS Roma.
Meanwhile, Karim Benzema has returned to training and could make a return against Barcelona next month.
Lucas Vazquez could start ahead of Jese
With Kroos and James Rodriguez out of the starting lineup, Zidane could opt for a midfield trio comprising Luka Modric, Casemiro and Isco. Dani Carvajal is expected to replace Danilo on the right flank.
Lucas Vazquez could get the nod ahead of Jese after an excellent performance against AS Roma on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo are expected to spearhead the team’s attack.
