Kylian Mbappe will be unavailable to represent Real Madrid against Atletico Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano this Sunday.
Real Madrid will aim to close the gap to Barcelona to one point when they lock horns with Atletico Madrid at the Civitas Metropolitano on Sunday night. And Carlo Ancelotti has greeted a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Kylian Mbappe is unavailable after picking up a thigh injury against Deportivo Alaves earlier this week. The Frenchman will likely return after the international break. However, Eduardo Camavinga is fit and part of the matchday squad after recovering from a knee issue.
So, Mbappe accompanies David Alaba (knee), Dani Ceballos (ankle), and Brahim Diaz (leg) on the sidelines. Ancelotti discussed Camavinga’s availability during his pre-match press conference, saying, “He’s available, he’s trained and recovered well. He’s in good condition. And when a player is available, he might play 90 minutes or zero minutes.”
The Real Madrid manager also spoke about the changes he would incorporate in Mbappe’s absence. He said, “I don’t look too much at the system because a 4-3-3 can change. You can have a 4-4-2 with the same players.”
“Adding one more midfielder doesn’t mean we play a 4-4-2 or one more forward is a 4-3-3. Maybe with three forwards you play a 4-4-2 and put Vini Jr. or Rodrygo as a right winger. I don’t pay much attention to this, what I do pay attention to for tomorrow’s game is that the team shows solidarity and commitment.”
Ancelotti should go back to the system that served Real Madrid well last season, with Los Blancos lining up in a 4-4-2 formation with a midfield diamond. So, Vinicius Junior should form the strike partnership with Rodrygo, with Jude Bellingham playing behind them.
Aurelien Tchouameni will reprise the holding midfield role, with Federico Valverde and Luka Modric playing alongside him in the middle of the park. The backline should see one change, with Dani Carvajal returning to the starting lineup in place of Lucas Vazquez. The Spaniard will join Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, and Ferland Mendy in the defensive quartet. Finally, Thibaut Courtois will take his usual spot between the sticks.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Tchouameni, Modric; Bellingham; Rodrygo, Vinicius
