Real Madrid have been dealt another worrying defensive injury blow ahead of Sunday’s La Liga showdown with Sevilla, as Raul Asencio trained separately from the team on Saturday.
Carlo Ancelotti‘s side have nothing but pride on the line for their remaining two top-flight games of the season, as Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Espanyol on Friday propelled La Blaugrana to the title.
As Los Blancos are eight points clear of Atletico Madrid in second place, they are guaranteed to clinch the silver medal in the 2024-25 season, and they will now simply complete the formalities of the season before Xabi Alonso takes over from Ancelotti.
Real’s final away game of the campaign takes place at Sevilla’s Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium on Sunday, after which Real Sociedad visit the Bernabeu in the last gameweek of the season.
The 15-time European champions are ending the year in a defensive injury crisis, as Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Ferland Mendy are all sidelined, as is Eduardo Camavinga.
Asensio ‘very likely’ to sit out Sevilla match
Ancelotti’s options at the back look set to be further limited by the absence of Asencio, who was unable to train with the team on Saturday and was restricted to work inside the gymnasium.
The 22-year-old was substituted in the 64th minute of Real’s 2-1 win over Mallorca on May 14, and according to Marca, he is suffering from muscular overload and ‘very likely’ to miss Sunday’s game.
It remains to be seen whether Asencio will be able to take part against Real Sociedad in the final game of the campaign, but Ancelotti will have to do without the rising star in the penultimate gameweek.
A breakthrough 2024-25 season for the Spaniard has seen him make 40 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions, including 17 starts in La Liga and a further eight in the Champions League.
The 22-year-old is joined on the sidelines by Brahim Diaz (adductor), Vinicius Junior (ankle) and Rodrygo (thigh), leaving Ancelotti down to the bare bones for the trip to Sevilla.
What could Real Madrid’s lineup against Sevilla look like?
While it is mostly doom and gloom for Real Madrid on the team news front, Ancelotti will receive one timely boost in the shape of Aurelien Tchouameni‘s return from suspension.
The Frenchman is an option in the heart of defence, although Jesus Vallejo and Jacobo Ramon – the two heroes of the recent win over Mallorca – could partner up at the back instead.
Tchouameni would therefore have licence to operate in midfield alongside either Federico Valverde or Luka Modric, while Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe star in a makeshift attack.
Mbappe should move out to the left in Vinicius’s absence, allowing Endrick to make his mark up top, while Arda Guler is the most likely candidate to start on the right in Rodrygo’s place.
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