Luka Modric should return to the Real Madrid starting lineup when they take on Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin Stadium on Saturday.
Real Madrid will look to remain at the summit of La Liga when they lock horns with Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin Stadium 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.
Dani Carvajal is the latest absentee, with the veteran Spaniard picking up a calf injury. But there is some good news, as Kepa Arrizabalaga and Luka Modric are back after recovering from their respective issues. Ancelotti has picked the duo in the travelling squad.
Meanwhile, Carvajal has joined Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, and Vinicius Junior on the sidelines. Ancelotti did not discuss Carvajal’s issue during his pre-match press conference but spoke about Kepa and the goalkeeping situation.
He said, “Kepa is back. He trained well and now we have two goalkeepers we trust. I have to pick between the two of them for tomorrow. There is competition between the sticks because Lunin has done really well. It’s a decision I’ll make tomorrow and over the coming games.”
“Lunin’s performances have been fantastic and he deserves to be considered, as does Kepa. Nothing has changed and we still have faith in him. Meanwhile, Lunin has shown his character and personality. It’s great for us to have them both. I may well rotate in these games in the run-up to Christmas.”
Kepa will return to the starting lineup on Saturday, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-4-2 formation in front of him. The defensive unit should see a change, with Lucas Vazquez replacing the injured Carvajal. The Spaniard will join David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy in the backline.
Meanwhile, Jude Bellingham has been dealing with an ankle issue in the last few days. In addition, he is also carrying an injury in his shoulder. Ancelotti spoke about those problems during his presser.
He said, “Bellingham has been working on his own because he has to recover from the ankle problem he’s been carrying since the Napoli game. He also needs proper recovery from his shoulder issue. He’s doing specific work to strengthen it but he’s been just fine to play and he’ll get better with each passing day.”
Bellingham will retain his spot in the midfield unit, but Luka Modric will return. Bellingham and Modric will join Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde in the middle of the park. Finally, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Diaz will complete the numbers in the attack, with Joselu dropping to the bench.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Kepa; Vazquez, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Modric; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Diaz
