Carlo Ancelotti will rest a few regulars when Real Madrid and Villarreal clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real Madrid will look to continue the recent winning run when they welcome Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night. And Carlo Ancelotti has a near-full-strength squad at his disposal ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Ferland Mendy is the only absentee, with the Frenchman still dealing with a muscle injury. But while the rest of the squad is available, Ancelotti will likely ring in the changes on Saturday. That said, the Italian tactician insisted that the senior players are fit and firing during his pre-match press conference.
Ancelotti said, “The team’s a bit fatigued today, but we don’t have any problems. Everyone apart from Mendy is available and we have to see how everyone has recovered tomorrow from the Clásico. We have to field the best team to make sure we keep fighting until the end of the league.”
“The veterans keep on going. They may have their ups and downs during a season, but it happens to all players. We have to judge players not by their age but by what they do on the pitch”
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“You might think Benzema, Modrić and Kroos don’t have the same physical energy as the youngsters, but the way these three handle games is unique and you can’t buy that in any market in the world. This stems from experience and they have the experience to handle things like nobody else.”
Despite Ancelotti’s words, Modric and Kroos will sit on the bench on Saturday to get some rest. But Benzema will spearhead the Real Madrid attack against Villarreal this weekend. The hosts will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Rodrygo Goes was a revelation in the no. 10 slot behind Benzema last weekend against Real Valladolid. And the Brazilian should reprise the same role on Saturday, with Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio starting as the two wide attackers.
Meanwhile, with Ancelotti resting several regulars, Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Ceballos should return to the starting lineup. The duo will pair up in the double pivot in the middle of the park. So Federico Valverde, Modric, and Kroos will be backup options on the bench.
As for the defensive unit, Dani Carvajal is due for some rest, while Ancelotti will continue to manage David Alaba’s fitness. So the two players will drop to the bench, with Lucas Vazquez and Nacho replacing them. But Eder Militao and Eduardo Camavinga should retain their spots, with Thibaut Courtois between the sticks.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Militao, Nacho, Camavinga; Tchouameni, Ceballos; Asensio, Rodrygo, Vinicius; Benzema
