Real Madrid team news, possible starting XI against Sheriff Tiraspol
Real Madrid welcome Sheriff Tiraspol to the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday for their Champions League Group D clash in the Spanish capital.
The Santiago Bernabéu stadium will host a Champions League match on Tuesday for the first time in 580 days. Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was the last player to score a goal at the famous stadium, when he converted a penalty in February 2020. Just days later, the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic brought football and the world to a halt. The following season, Madrid would play six matches in the Champions League at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium.
Real Madrid's impressive start to new season
Madrid have made an impressive start to the 2021-22 campaign, taking 17 points from a possible 21 in La Liga. After scoring 11 goals in two home games in the league, Ancelotti's men were held to a goalless draw by Villarreal on Saturday, however, they will fancy their chances against Sheriff on Tuesday. On Matchday one of the tournament, Los Blancos secured a crucial 1-0 victory away to Inter.
Kroos returns
Toni Kroos is back in the Real Madrid squad after being sidelined through injury. The German midfielder returns after almost four months on the sidelines. He last played on 9 May in a match against Sevilla at the Alfredo Di Stéfano, before going on to play in the European Championship with Germany.
Absentees
Madrid remain without regular full-backs Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy. Marcelo, Dani Ceballos and Gareth Bale are all ruled out through injury.
Ancelotti on midfield options
Toni Kroos is back. Will you give continuity to him, Casemiro and Modric? "I think that in the middle having those three plus Isco, Camavinga, Asensio ... all of them are going to be useful. The difficult thing is not choosing the line-up, it is not having all these types of players. Sometimes that has happened to me. I haven’t had a midfield like this since my first spell at Madrid".
Real Madrid vs Sheriff Tiraspol: Possible XI
Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Alaba, Nacho; Casemiro, Modric, Hazard; Valverde, Benzema, Vinicius.