Andriy Lunin will start instead of Kepa Arrizabalaga for Real Madrid against Granada at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real Madrid will aim to remain atop La Liga when they welcome Granada to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday evening. And Carlo Ancelotti has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is fit and available after recovering from his recent fitness issues. The Spaniard is in the matchday squad to take on Granada this weekend. But Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Arda Guler, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Luka Modric, and Vinicius Junior remain on the sidelines.
There were concerns surrounding the availability of Jude Bellingham ahead of Ancelotti’s pre-match press conference. But the Italian tactician informed the press that Bellingham had no issues and would play on Saturday.
He said, “Bellingham is ready to play. He doesn’t have any problems. He’s a bit tired and he had a slight discomfort in his ankle. We preferred him not to have contact to not risk it, but he’ll be ok for tomorrow and will play.”
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Ancelotti also discussed the injury crisis in his squad while confirming Kepa’s availability, saying, “Injuries are a general issue. Not just ours. Players get injured in every game. It’s a very tight schedule, especially in this period when the Champions League group stage is being decided and the league table is starting to take shape.”
“We have to hang in there and this has been an opportunity for the players who have had less playing time because they’ve been able to show their quality and are contributing significantly to the team. He’s available and I’ll talk to him afterwards. He trained for the first time today and has been given the all-clear. Tomorrow we’ll go with Lunin and then he’ll have a week to prepare for the Betis game.”
Andriy Lunin will take his spot between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-4-2 formation with a midfield diamond in front of him. The backline should see some changes, with Lucas Vazquez and Nacho returning. The duo should join David Alaba and Ferland Mendy in the defensive quartet.
As for the midfield unit, Ancelotti does not have much breathing room, although Nico Paz is a wildcard option. But the Italian tactician should persist with Federico Valverde, Toni Kroos, Dani Ceballos, and Bellingham. Nico Paz will thus be an option on the bench. Finally, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz should pair up in the attack, with Joselu being a substitute again.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Vazquez, Nacho, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Ceballos; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Diaz
