Real Madrid missing five players for RB Leipzig contest
Real Madrid will be without the services of five first-team players for Tuesday’s Champions League contest with RB Leipzig in Germany.
Dani Ceballos and Mariano Diaz remain on the sidelines for Los Blancos, with the former still out with a calf issue, while the latter has recently been unavailable due to a knock.
Karim Benzema is also missing for the reigning Spanish and European champions, with the France international not being risked due to muscular fatigue, which also ruled him out against Sevilla in La Liga at the weekend.
Federico Valverde, meanwhile, has not made the trip to Germany due to the knock that he picked up during the 3-1 victory over Jorge Sampaoli’s side in the league.
“He has a knock on his leg, it bothers him a bit, we have to see him,” head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters after the contest with Sevilla. “I don’t know if he will be able to recover [in time to face Leipzig].”
The first-team absences have opened the door for Sergio Arribas, Alvaro and Carlos Dotor to be included in the squad for the clash with Leipzig.
“The aim for tomorrow is to finish top of the group. We’ve got the chance to do it and we’re focussed. We have to put on a good performance to be able to forget about this stage,” Ancelotti told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
“This is a very intense period of the season, with games coming thick and fast. There are too many for me. We’re handling it well, but, like all teams do, we have some injuries and players out. This is normal when you always play every three days.”
Eduardo Camavinga could start in central midfield due to Modric’s absence, while Marco Asensio may be handed a spot in the final third of the field, with Benzema and Valverde both unavailable for selection.
Real Madrid squad vs. Leipzig:
Courtois, Lunin, Lopez; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Vazquez, Rudiger, Mendy; Kroos, Camavinga, Tchouameni, Dotor, Arribas; Hazard, Asensio, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Alvaro
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