Toni Kroos and Antonio Rudiger will return to the starting lineup when Real Madrid and Villarreal lock horns on Sunday.
Real Madrid will look to remain perched atop La Liga when they welcome Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday night. And Carlo Ancelotti does not have any new issues to deal with ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Thibaut Courtois, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, and Vinicius Junior remain on the sidelines. But there is some good news as Aurelien Tchouameni has recovered from his recent fitness issues. Ancelotti has named the Frenchman in his matchday squad for Sunday’s fixture.
Ancelotti did not provide any team news updates during his pre-match press conference, considering no player has recently entered the treatment room. But he spoke about penalty duties, with Luka Modric missing a spot-kick against Union Berlin.
The Real Madrid boss said, “Last year there was a very clear line, with Karim, and then Modrić. That’s changed because Modrić was the first taker and he wasn’t playing so much early on. We’ve got Joselu, who is a great penalty taker but he doesn’t play every game.”
“We’re trying to sort it out and practice more but it’s not just a technical issue, it’s about the atmosphere, something you can’t reproduce in training. We’re looking at it, I hope we can solve it.”
Modric will retain his spot in the midfield unit, joining Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde, and Jude Bellingham in the middle of the park. The usual 4-4-2 formation will come with a midfield diamond, with Bellingham at the tip and Kroos at the base. Meanwhile, the German midfielder’s return means Dani Ceballos will drop to the bench.
As for the defence, Antonio Rudiger will return to the starting lineup, replacing Nacho in the central defensive partnership, which will also feature David Alaba. Ferland Mendy will also come back, with Fran Garcia dropping to the bench.
Lucas Vazquez will complete the numbers in the backline, with Kepa Arrizabalaga retaining his spot between the sticks. Finally, Joselu and Rodrygo Goes will be the two strikers, with Brahim Diaz being an option on the bench.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Kepa; Vazquez, Rudiger, Alaba, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Modric; Bellingham; Joselu, Rodrygo
