Dean Huijsen will replace Antonio Rudiger in the Real Madrid starting lineup when they take on Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.
Real Madrid will aim to reclaim the Spanish Super Cup when they lock horns with Barcelona in the final at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium on Sunday evening. Xabi Alonso has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Alonso is sweating over the fitness of Antonio Rudiger (knee), Raul Asencio (thigh), and Rodrygo (knock) after they picked up minor issues in the semi-final against Atletico Madrid. Additionally, Trent Alexander-Arnold (thigh) and Eder Militao (hamstring) remain in the treatment room, while Brahim Diaz is still at the Africa Cup of Nations with Morocco.
However, Kylian Mbappe is in contention to feature in the Spanish Super Cup final after training ahead of the game. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Alonso provided fitness updates on Mbappe, Rudiger, Asencio, and Dean Huijsen.
The Real Madrid manager said, “He [Mbappe] is much better. He was a bit tight to feature against Atletico, we decided not to rush him, but we kept in mind that he could make it for the final, provided he felt okay. He flew in yesterday and will train with the team today. We’ll assess him and decide if he can start or if he’ll play fewer minutes.”
“It’s a decision we’ll make in line with the player, the coaches, and the medical staff. We need to weigh up the risk. We have to be aware of the timing, what’s at stake, and then take responsibility for the decisions we make. We’re not kamikazes when making these decisions. It’s a controlled risk.”
“Asencio, Rudiger, and Huijsen are all feeling better. We’ll train this afternoon and make the final assessments before deciding. It’s an area where we’ve had more instability in terms of players being available, and that puts extra strain on those who have to play more and make an extra effort. We have to deal with it.”
Thibaut Courtois is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Barcelona. The backline will feature Federico Valverde, Raul Asencio, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras.
As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Jude Bellingham. Finally, Gonzalo Garcia will lead the line for Los Blancos against Barcelona, with Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior being the two wide attackers. So, Mbappe will be a backup option on the bench.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Valverde, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bellingham; Rodrygo, Garcia, Vinicius Junior
