Federico Valverde and Kylian Mbappe will return in a heavily-rotated Real Madrid starting lineup against Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin Stadium on Saturday.
Real Madrid will aim to keep the pressure on Barcelona in the title race when they lock horns with Real Betis at the Benito Villamarin Stadium on Saturday evening. Carlo Ancelotti has new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Jude Bellingham will miss Saturday’s La Liga game due to suspension. In addition, Dani Ceballos has picked up a hamstring injury that will keep him on the sidelines for the foreseeable future. So, the Spanish international is not in the travelling squad to take on Real Betis.
Ceballos and Bellingham accompany Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao on the sidelines, with the defensive duo recovering from long-term knee injuries. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Ancelotti provided a fitness update on Raul Asencio and Federico Valverde, who have been dealing with minor issues.
The Real Madrid manager said, “The player [Asencio] is fine, he’s recovered. What happened the other day got to him, but he’s ready to play. It never should have happened, but the protocol was followed correctly. If the same thing happens again, I would hope they’ll apply the protocol as the referee did so brilliantly the other day.”
“When I pick him, I’m not thinking about anything else. That kind of abuse should not be going on. He’s [Valverde] not injured or rested. He’s got a little bit of discomfort, he’s struggled to recover in time. He won’t be available tomorrow but he’ll be fine for the next game.”
Raul Asencio will retain his spot in the Real Madrid starting lineup, although he will move into the heart of the defence alongside Antonio Rudiger, with Lucas Vazquez returning to the right-back berth. Ferland Mendy will complete the backline, with Fran Garcia dropping to the bench. Thibaut Courtois will replace Andriy Lunin between the sticks.
As for the midfield unit, Federico Valverde will pair up with Aurelien Tchouameni in the central areas. Brahim Diaz and Rodrygo Goes should be the two wide midfielders. Meanwhile, Kylian Mbappe will return after missing the Copa del Rey clash with Real Sociedad due to some pain after his tooth extraction. Mbappe will accompany Vinicius Junior in the final third.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy; Brahim, Tchouameni, Valverde, Rodrygo; Vinicius Junior, Mbappe
