Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior will return to the Real Madrid starting lineup against Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday.
Real Madrid will hope to regain the top spot in La Liga when they play hosts to Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon. And Carlo Ancelotti does not have any major updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The biggest revelation has been Thibaut Courtois’s continued absence due to a back injury. Otherwise, the Real Madrid manager has a full-strength squad at his disposal ahead of the game against Barcelona. So Antonio Rudiger is in the matchday squad after sustaining a heavy blow on the head against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Ancelotti provided an update on both Courtois and Rudiger during his pre-match press conference. And the Real Madrid boss has revealed that the Barcelona game has come too soon for Courtois, who will return to action next week.
Ancelotti said, “He’s doing pretty well, but has trained very little. He’s ruled out of tomorrow’s game. He will get more training sessions under his belt next week. We’ll have to see how he’s doing for Wednesday or next Saturday. The only thing he needs now is to get out on the training pitch.”
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On Rudiger, Ancelotti said, “He’s fine, he just has to wear a mask to avoid the wound from opening up, but he’s in no pain and is doing fine and really looking forward to the game. He’s a warrior. He also offers us his mentality and personality. He’s a winner who never stops, even in training. He’s a very pessimistic defender.”
Ancelotti did not reveal much about his starting lineup during his presser. But the Real Madrid boss should revert to the 4-3-3 formation after switching the system earlier this week. And Andriy Lunin should continue between the sticks in Courtois’s absence.
Rudiger will likely drop to the bench, with Eder Militao and David Alaba forming the central defensive pairing. Ferland Mendy should continue as the left-back, with Dani Carvajal coming in for Lucas Vazquez.
The midfield unit should feature the strongest trifecta, with Luka Modric returning to the side. Modric will line up alongside Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Federico Valverde often starts as the right-sided winger in the biggest games.
The Uruguayan international should reprise the same role against Barcelona, meaning Rodrygo Goes will drop to the bench. Vinicius Junior will replace his compatriot on the left flank, while Karim Benzema will spearhead the Real Madrid attack on Sunday.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Kroos, Tchouameni, Modric; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicus Junior
