Zinedine Zidane is likely to without just a couple of first-team players as Real Madrid prepare to face Barcelona at Camp Nou in the El Clasico on Sunday.
Real Madrid will be aiming to end Barcelona’s hopes of going the entire season unbeaten when they travel to Camp Nou on Sunday for the final El Clasico of the campaign. Zinedine Zidane’s men will also be keen on exacting revenge for the 3-0 loss at the Bernabeu earlier in the season.
But, the Real Madrid boss has a couple of pressing concerns in defence. There have been suggestions that Zidane should not risk some of his key players for the Champions League final in a few weeks, but the manager rebuffed them in his pre-match press conference, claiming that he intends to name a strong side.
“No, not at all. It’s [injuries] not something that I think about, if I did there would be no point in playing tomorrow. We need to play as we always do and try to give our all. If anyone isn’t 100% fit they won’t play, but the rest of them will.”
Dani Carvajal is still on the treatment table due to a hamstring injury he sustained in the Champions League semi-final first leg against Bayern Munich, and will miss the game as a result. In his absence, Zidane has the inexperienced Achraf Hakimi, the versatile Nacho and Lucas Vazquez as his options.
But, Nacho might deputise at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, with Raphael Varane a minor doubt, while Vazquez struggled defensively as a makeshift right-back against Bayern in the second leg.
Young Achraf Hakimi should, thus, get a rare opportunity to start as the right-back, with Marcelo the full-back on the opposite flank. Giving Nacho company at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, should be Sergio Ramos, who was the subject of praise from Zidane in his presser.
“He is a really representative figure within the squad for what he has achieved as a player. He has been here for many years and is our leader and captain. He’s an important player in everyone’s eyes and right across the game he’s a role model in terms of his dedication and how he motivates others.”
In midfield, Casemiro is likely to return to the starting lineup after being a surprise exclusion in the midweek game, replacing birthday boy Mateo Kovacic. Luka Modric and Toni Kroos should retain their places in the side, and will be the creative forces of the visitors.
Upfront, Cristiano Ronaldo is an automatic selection despite a minor slump in form. Karim Benzema might have done enough to earn a start after his tie winning brace against Bayern on Tuesday. As far as the third spot is concerned, it is a toss up between Marco Asensio, Isco and Gareth Bale.
While Isco is unlikely to be fit enough to start, Asensio failed to grab his chance in the midweek game. As a result, we might just see Bale starting on the right flank, in what could possibly be the last hurrah for BBC in a Clasico.
