Jude Bellingham will return to the Real Madrid starting lineup against Valencia at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real Madrid will look to reclaim the top spot in La Liga when they welcome Valencia to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday evening. And Carlo Ancelotti has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Jude Bellingham is fit and available after Ancelotti rested him against SC Braga due to a minor shoulder issue. But Arda Guler is out of the matchday squad after picking up another injury, his third since joining Real Madrid.
Guler has joined Thibaut Courtois, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Eder Militao, Dani Ceballos, and Aurelien Tchouameni on the sidelines. During his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti discussed the Turkish international’s fitness issues since arriving at the Bernabeu this past summer.
He said, “Unfortunately he picked something up ahead of the game against Braga. It didn’t seem like anything serious but it’s still bothering him. It’s nothing important. The player is a bit down because he’s young, he wants to play and to contribute. It’s a set-back and a recurrence of his previous injury but we have the international break now to get him back fit.”
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“The initial injury was a meniscus tear, it happened last year and he couldn’t keep going anymore so he had surgery. When you have that on your meniscus, your posture changes and you put more strain on your good leg. It is quite common to see muscle issues in the recovery from a meniscus problem. That’s what has happened but he has a beautiful future ahead of him and he’s a hugely talented player.”
“I understand he’s disappointed but it’s a slight muscle niggle. I can see why it is getting to him. The same thing happened to me when I was 21, I was out for two years, then I came back and my career continued. So Güler’s future is not in any doubt. It’s just a period of time and I hope he can recovery during the international break.”
While Guler has yet to make his Real Madrid debut, his fitness issues will be frustrating for Ancelotti and the player. As for team selection, the midfield unit should remain unchanged apart from Jude Bellingham replacing Brahim Diaz.
Bellingham will sit at the tip of the midfield diamond, with Eduardo Camavinga taking his spot at the base. Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde should complete the numbers in the middle of the park, with Luka Modric being an option on the bench. Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes should continue as the two “strikers”.
As for the defensive unit, David Alaba should replace Antonio Rudiger, who will get some rest this weekend. Alaba will be Nacho’s centre-back partner, with Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal featuring as the two full-backs. Finally, Andriy Lunin will take his spot between the sticks in the absence of Kepa and Courtois.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Nacho, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Camavinga, Kroos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr.
