David Alaba and Rodrygo Goes will return, while Thibaut Courtois is fit to start for Real Madrid against Real Valladolid on Sunday.
Real Madrid will be desperate to return to winning ways when they welcome Real Valladolid to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday afternoon. And Carlo Ancelotti has a new full-strength squad at his disposal ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Ferland Mendy is the only notable absentee, with the Frenchman recently sustaining a muscle injury. But David Alaba has regained fitness and is available to take on Real Valladolid. In addition, Thibaut Courtois has also shaken off a knock and should feature on Sunday.
However, Ancelotti might decide to rest a few players keeping an eye on the upcoming Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Barcelona. And the Italian tactician addressed questions on the subject during his pre-match press conference. He also provided insight into Mendy’s injury.
On the topic of rest, Ancelotti said, “I’m not surprised or upset by the schedule. Yes, it’s true that they have an extra day, but we have time to recover from the exertion of tomorrow’s game. We don’t have a problem.”
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As for Mendy’s injury, he said, “We’ve got the same injury problems as the other teams. The demands of football sometimes result in injuries. Mendy has been unlucky with injuries this season. He’s very important for us. We’ve managed to replace him fine and we’ll try to continue to do so.”
Despite Mendy’s absence, Ancelotti might not be fretting due to Alaba’s impending return. And the Austrian international should start as the left-back, with Dani Carvajal picking himself on the right flank. Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger will likely form the central defensive partnership. And there is no looking past Courtois between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, Ancelotti might rest a few regulars thinking about the upcoming Barcelona clash. So Toni Kroos and Luka Modric might be on the bench on Sunday. That means Dani Ceballos, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga will form the midfield trifecta.
Federico Valverde might also earn some rest after participating extensively in the international break. So Rodrygo Goes will return on the right flank, joining Vinicius Junior and Karim Benzema in the final third. Marco Asensio and Eden Hazard will thus be on the bench again.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Alaba; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr.
