Luka Modric and Casemiro will return, but Vinicius Jr. will miss out when Real Madrid and Getafe face off at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez.
Real Madrid will be aiming to continue their superb run of form when they lock horns with Getafe at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez on Sunday afternoon. And Carlo Ancelotti has seen his roster issues ease up following the end of the winter break.
The Real Madrid manager had been sweating over the availability of several pivotal players in the previous week. However, stars like Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Luka Modric and Casemiro have overcome their respective issues to be available to take on Getafe.
However, Vinicius Jr. will miss out against Getafe as he is recovering from COVID-19. Other absentees include Dani Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga, Gareth Bale and Luka Jovic. During his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti spoke about the unavailable players and a few, like Courtois, who is back at his disposal.
“The team has trained well, despite this being a strange time for everyone. We have a few players out, with Jovic and Vinicius still testing positive, Carvajal and Bale still recovering and Camavinga suspended. We’re just thinking about continuing to fight for all the available trophies.”
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“We have to weigh up the situation. The player [Courtois] is fine and was even when he got the positive test. He hasn’t had any symptoms and worked on his own at home. He looked in good shape today and I think he’s fit to play.”
Judging by Ancelotti’s comments, it looks like Courtois will take his place in goal against Getafe. In front of the Belgian goalkeeper, Real Madrid will line up in a 4-3-3 formation, with David Alaba reuniting with Eder Militao in the central defensive partnership. Out wide, Lucas Vazquez will deputise for Carvajal as the makeshift right-back, while Ferland Mendy is a certainty on the left flank.
Up ahead in midfield, Casemiro and Modric should be recalled by Ancelotti, with Toni Kroos being their partner in the middle of the park. That leaves Federico Valverde as an option on the bench, along with Dani Ceballos and Isco.
Finally, Karim Benzema will spearhead the Real Madrid attack against Getafe, with Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes likely to supplement him from the wide areas. So, Eden Hazard’s rotation will continue, with the Belgian international and Mariano Diaz being backup options in attack.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Casemiro, Kroos; Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo
