Vinicius Junior should return to the Real Madrid starting lineup in the UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester City on Tuesday.
Real Madrid will aim to take a step closer to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals when they welcome Manchester City to the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night. And Carlo Ancelotti has greeted a positive update on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Vinicius Junior is available after missing the game against Athletic Club nearly ten days ago. In addition, Eder Militao is in the squad again after making an appearance off the bench in the most recent outing. So, Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba are the only absentees for the home side.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti did not discuss any team news updates during his pre-match press conference. He heaped praise on Jude Bellingham while responding to a question about the potential starting lineup.
The Real Madrid boss said, “I don’t think there was anything unusual in the match. I’m not going to tell you anything, but you’re not going to get the lineup wrong. You might miss one, but the lineup is pretty clear. I haven’t told the players anything, there are some doubts. I’ll tell the team tomorrow.”
On Bellingham, he said, “He’s having a very good season in the penalty box. He’s physically very strong and he’s helping us a lot in the defensive aspects and up front to create space and provide movement.”
“He’s very mature. He’s only 20 years old, but he’s very professional, very serious and humble. He didn’t surprise us as a player, but he surprised us as a person, because his head is very mature for his age.”
Bellingham will reprise his usual role behind the strikers, with Vinicius Junior pairing up with Rodrygo in the final third. So, Brahim Diaz will drop to the bench after an excellent run in the last few weeks.
As for the midfield unit, Eduardo Camavinga will join Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde in the middle of the park. Aurelien Tchouameni will drop to the heart of the Real Madrid defence, with Antonio Rudiger being his central defensive partner. Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal will start as the two full-backs, with Andriy Lunin taking his spot between the sticks.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Rudiger, Tchouameni, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr
