Aurelien Tchouameni will make his first appearance in the Real Madrid starting lineup this season when they take on Elche at Estadio Martinez Valero on Tuesday.
Real Madrid will aim to continue the recent winning run when they lock horns with Elche at Estadio Martinez Valero on Tuesday night. Jose Mourinho has no new issues to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Eder Militao (thigh), Ferland Mendy (ligament), and Rodrygo Goes (cruciate ligament) remain in the treatment room due to their long-term fitness issues. Meanwhile, Raul Asencio, Thiago Pitarch, and Endrick are back in the mix, with the trio part of the travelling squad to take on Elche.
During his pre-match press conference, Mourinho was asked about the possibility of Aurelien Tchouameni featuring in the starting lineup. He said, “I think more minutes, yes. Without a doubt, more minutes than with Inter, which were 10-15, and we were all hesitant; we could have gone to 20-25. I’d say in the next matches, there will surely be more. He’s getting better, stronger, and more confident every time. I’d say tomorrow, for sure he’ll play at some point, but I can’t say how long.”
Another key talking point in the press conference was the discussion on injuries and measures to prevent them. The Real Madrid manager said, “I know the numbers from the past, but not the process. Here, we are involved in a global, normal, professional plan, which is a very good interaction among everyone.”
“We’re working well and so far, we have positive numbers, also common sense. Confidence in the players is important. For example, the other day when Valverde left the pitch, it was for precaution, because he had a small problem. If you ask me, with the score at zero, would Valverde continue? Yes, he would.”
“We push the limits of risk, but with a 3-0 score, we protect a player who’s almost there. It’s a bit like that, but you also need a bit of luck, especially with traumatic injuries. Many times, a team has a very high number of injuries, and their staff is working very well, but they have bad luck with knees or traumatic injuries, and that’s something uncontrollable.”
Thibaut Courtois is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of him against Elche. The backline will feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, and Marc Cucurella.
As for the midfield unit, Aurelien Tchouameni should line up alongside Federico Valverde in the double pivot, with Jude Bellingham reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Kylian Mbappe will lead the line for the away side, with Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Huijsen, Cucurella; Valverde, Tchouameni; Guler, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior; Mbappe
