Eduardo Camavinga, Luka Modric, Lucas Vazquez, Vinicius Junior, Endrick and Antonio Rudiger will all be walking a disciplinary tightrope in Tuesday’s Champions League clash between Real Madrid and Arsenal.
Los Blancos announced their squad for the quarter-final first leg on Sunday, with Thibaut Courtois available for selection after recovering from a muscular issue that he picked up on international duty.
However, Andriy Lunin, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos will all be missing through injury, while Aurelien Tchouameni will not be involved due to a European suspension.
Six Real Madrid players are also walking a disciplinary tightrope ahead of the second leg, as bookings for any of Camavinga, Modric, Vazquez, Vinicius, Endrick and Rudiger would rule them out of the return game in Madrid.
Of the six, Vinicius and Rudiger are guaranteed starters, while Vazquez, Camavinga and Modric also have potential options to be included in the XI, but Endrick is set to be named on the bench.
Vinicius, Rudiger among six Real Madrid players facing second-leg heartache
Real Madrid will enter the clash with Arsenal off the back of a 2-1 home defeat to Valencia, which has left them second in the La Liga table, four points behind the leaders Barcelona.
“We have lost the opportunity to fight for the league with more forcefulness, but the [Copa del Rey final] against Barcelona and the Arsenal clash will be different,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“[Arsenal and Barcelona] will attack more, and the game script will be much different. Sure, we will have to be better at the back and be effective up front, but can’t lose focus.
“It’s a fact that it is not that hard for our opponents to score against us at the moment. But that is no use moaning about it.
“This is not a deserved defeat [against Valencia]. Could we have done better? Sure, but it’s not a lack of attitude. We deserved to win and it was because of details. We have to move on and focus on Arsenal on Tuesday.”
Ancelotti also facing a second-leg suspension
Ancelotti is also facing a suspension, as a yellow card for the Real Madrid head coach on Tuesday evening would mean that he is unable to be on the touchline for the reverse fixture at Bernabeu.
Los Blancos beat Atletico Madrid on penalties in the last-16 stage of this season’s Champions League, while they overcame Manchester City in the knockout round playoffs.
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