Real Madrid will be without the services of seven first-team players for Saturday’s (today) clash with Real Betis.
Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao have both been out since August with serious knee injuries, but the pair are believed to be on course to return before the end of the campaign.
Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler are in the latter stages of their recoveries from foot and muscular problems respectively, but they are not yet ready to be considered for selection and miss out again this weekend.
READ ALSOReal Madrid boss Ancelotti expecting Vinicius to return in Jan.
Dani Carvajal will be unavailable until 2024 due to a calf problem, while Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga will also be absent for the remainder of the year due to injuries that were suffered during the international break.
There is positive news on the injury front, though, with Luka Modric returning to the squad after a muscular issue, while Jude Bellingham is fit despite concerns over an ankle problem.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is expected to start between the sticks, with the on-loan Chelsea goalkeeper back to full fitness after a period out with a thigh issue.
“Kepa is back, he’s trained well and is good. It’s good that we have two goalkeepers we can trust, and tomorrow I’ll choose one of the two of them,” head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters during his press conference.
“There’s competition in goal because [Andriy] Lunin has done very well when he’s played, but it’s a decision I’ll take tomorrow and ahead of the next few games.”
READ ALSO Moroccan legendary goalkeeper Badou Zaki takes over Niger
Meanwhile, Carvajal’s absence is likely to mean a start at right-back for Lucas Vazquez.
Gonzalo Garcia is named as an attacking option, while there is also a position in the squad for teenage midfielder Nico Paz, who scored his first senior goal against Napoli in the Champions League.
“We’ve had time to prepare the game in the best possible way, to recover. After the Granada game, we had two days off and have been able to prepare with good physical and tactical training,” Ancelotti said when discussing his team’s preparation for this match.