Real Madrid have a crunch tie awaiting them in La Liga today on Sunday as they take on their cross-town rivals, Atletico Madrid. In addition to the emotional appeal of this matchup, this game will also have implications for the La Liga table as these sides are separated by only two points, with Real Madrid standing second and Atletico Madrid standing third.
Real Madrid have announced the squad for this game, and the Merengues are heading into this game with a rather thin team. The most notable absence from the Real Madrid team sheet is that of Kylian Mbappe, who suffered a muscle injury in the last game against Alaves.
Other players like David Alaba and Dani Ceballos also remain absent, as does Brahim Diaz, who is currently recovering from an abductor injury. On the other hand, Eduardo Camavinga has returned to the list and might play from the very start if his physical condition allows. Dani Carvajal has also been named in this list after his absence against Alaves.
Thibaut Courtois is expected to be the team’s goalkeeper and will return to play against his former side Atletico Madrid, against whom he is yet to taste defeat. Lunin and Fran Gonzalez will be his substitutes.
Ancelotti is expected to field his preferred defensive line of Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy. Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia will be the substitutes on the flanks, while Vallejo and Jacobo will be available to reinforce the centre of the defence if a problem arises.
Valverde, Tchouameni, and Bellingham are expected to once again take control of the centre of the pitch for this game. Ancelotti can also field Eduardo Camavinga if he prefers a four-man midfield, while Modric and Arda Guler will also be available.
There are only three forwards named in the squad list, Vinicius, Rodrygo, and Endrick. The former are expected to start the game, while Endrick might also join the team on the pitch later in the game.
The full squad announced by Real Madrid is as follows:
Goalkeepers:
- 1: Thibaut Courtois
- 2: Andriy Lunin
- 3: Fran Gonzalez
Defenders:
- 1: Dani Carvajal
- 2: Eder Militao
- 3: Lucas Vazquez
- 4: Jesus Vallejo
- 5: Fran Garcia
- 6: Antonio Rudiger
- 7: Ferland Mendy
- 8: Jacobo Ramon
Midfielders:
- 1: Jude Bellingham
- 2: Eduardo Camavinga
- 3: Federico Valverde
- 4: Luka Modric
- 5: Aurelien Tchouameni
- 6: Arda Guler
Forwards:
- 1: Vinicius Junior
- 2: Rodrygo Goes
- 3: Endrick