Rodrygo Goes has recovered from his injury and is in contention to feature, but Eden Hazard is ruled out again as Real Madrid face Granada in La Liga.
Real Madrid will be aiming to bag all three points and claim the top spot in the La Liga table when they face off against Granada at Los Carmenes on Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of the game, Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has been dealt with a couple of fresh injury blows as Gareth Bale has picked up a knock while on international duty, while Eden Hazard is ruled out due to a stomach bug. There is some positive news, though, with Rodryo Goes making a full recovery from his issue and being available for the trip to Granada.
Granada vs Real Madrid Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats
“I’m fairly pleased we haven’t had too many problems in this period. Rodrygo is back, I think we’ll get Valverde back next week and we hope Hazard will recover quickly from his stomach bug. Bale’s situation was fairly clear before. He was cleared to go, they assessed him and then he played and got injured,” Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference.
With the pole position on the table at stake, Ancelotti is expected to field his strongest XI despite the crucial UEFA Champions League clash against Sheriff Tiraspol coming up in a couple of days. Thibaut Courtois is a guaranteed starter between the sticks for Real Madrid, while the centre-back pairing of Eder Militao and David Alaba pick themselves as well.
Dani Carvajal has put behind his injury woes and has featured in the last few games. That is unlikely to change on Sunday, with the Spaniard expected to continue at right-back. Ferland Mendy is likely to get the nod ahead of club captain Marcelo on the opposite flank, with the versatile Nacho providing cover from the bench.
With Federico Valverde still not available for selection and Eduardo Camavinga being eased into the first-team by Ancelotti, the Merengues boss is likely to go into Sunday’s game against Granada with his preferred first-choice midfield trident of veteran stars Casemiro, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.
Moving into the final third of the pitch, two of three attacking slots are locked in, with the in-form duo of Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior certain starters. The returning Rodrygo, Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez will vie for the right-wing berth at Los Carmenes, with Ancelotti likely to lean towards the hard-working Vazquez for this game. Luka Jovic and Mariano Diaz will remain as options from the bench.
Real Madrid Predicted XI: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Vazquez, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
