Karim Benzema should start, but Luka Modric will likely be on the bench when Real Madrid and Real Valladolid face off on Friday.
Real Madrid will be eager to leapfrog Barcelona to the summit of La Liga when they lock horns with Real Valladolid at Estadio Jose Zorrilla on Friday night. And Carlo Ancelotti has a near-full-strength squad at his disposal ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
The good news is that Karim Benzema is fit and available after a horrific last few weeks. The Real Madrid captain is in the travelling squad, with Mariano Diaz being the only absentee. Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga are also in Valladolid with the rest of the unit.
Ancelotti provided an update on Benzema and Mariano during his pre-match press conference. The Real Madrid boss said, “We’re in good shape and looking forward to returning to action. The team’s doing well and has trained well.”
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“We’ve got Benzema back, and this is very important for us. Those who returned today have been training individually and they’re available. I’m going to give priority to those who have been training here. Mariano won’t be available because he sprained his ankle in the last friendly.”
Ancelotti then spoke more about Benzema’s fitness. The Real Madrid manager added, “He [Benzema] returned on 10 December. He wasn’t too bad when he came back and he began training with the team. He played 30 minutes in the first friendly and 45 in the second. He’s feeling good and is looking forward to returning. He’s going to show his quality because that’s what he’s done in training these days.”
Benzema will spearhead the attack against Real Valladolid on Friday, with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes lining up on the flanks. Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard will thus be the backup options for the offensive unit.
Modric, Tchouameni, and Camavinga will unlikely start. So the midfield unit picks itself for Friday. And Toni Kroos should sit at the base of the midfield trio, with Dani Ceballos and Federico Valverde lining up alongside him.
Ancelotti has no issues in the defensive department and should pick the strongest quartet. So Eder Militao and David Alaba should complete the backline alongside Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy. Finally, Thibaut Courtois picks himself between the sticks.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Junior