Karim Benzema will be unavailable, but Luka Modric will return when Real Madrid and Espanyol meet at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real Madrid will be eager to return to winning ways when they welcome Espanyol to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon. And Carlo Ancelotti has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Luka Modric is back after missing the last game due to a suspension. But Karim Benzema is not a part of the squad, with Ancelotti resting him with one eye on the upcoming UEFA Champions League game against Liverpool.
Ferland Mendy has resumed training after recovering from his injury. But he is not match-fit and will take some time to return to action. Meanwhile, David Alaba remains on the sidelines due to a calf injury. During his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti spoke at length about Benzema. And the Frenchman seems to have a knock on his ankle.
The Real Madrid boss said, “Benzema had a knock on his ankle and it swelled up. He was hoping to recover but hasn’t been able to because he hasn’t trained with the team. He started individual training today and will be available for Wednesday’s game. His absence inevitably has an impact because he’s such an important player and especially because of the season he had last year.”
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“He’s a player who’s scored a lot of goals and the fact that he hasn’t reached this level yet has affected us slightly. We coped well without him in the first part of the season and in the second part of the season Karim delivered. His absence for tomorrow is something that happens in football. It’s a knock and he hasn’t fully recovered.”
Meanwhile, Ancelotti suggested Mendy might be available to take on Liverpool if he progresses well in training. But with the Frenchman and Alaba unavailable again, Eduardo Camavinga will start as the left-back. And Dani Carvajal will continue on the opposite flank.
As for the central defensive unit, Antonio Rudiger has been recovering from a minor knock. And even though the German international is available, Ancelotti might not risk him. So Nacho should pair up with Eder Militao, with Thibaut Courtois picking himself between the sticks.
Moving on to the midfield unit, Luka Modric will return to the starting lineup after serving his suspension. The veteran Croat will join Toni Kroos and Aurelien Tchouameni in the middle of the park. But Dani Ceballos will be an option if Ancelotti wants to rest Kroos ahead of the Liverpool game.
Benzema’s absence means Rodrygo Goes will spearhead the attack. Alvaro Rodriguez is in the squad but might make an appearance off the bench instead of starting the game. Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde will complete the offensive unit for Real Madrid.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Camavinga; Modric, Tchouameni, Kroos; Valverde, Rodrygo, Vinicius
