Ancelotti given numerous boosts to depleted Madrid squad

After overcoming their Copa del Rey difficulties—where Los Blancos struggled to get past Leganés to secure a spot in the semi-finals—Carlo Ancelotti’s men now face a tough challenge due to key defensive absences.

Atlético de Madrid are up next in a new edition of the Madrid derby, a crucial league clash where Real Madrid must secure all three points to stay at the top and widen the gap over their closest rivals.

Notably, this match pits the league leaders against the second-placed team. It’s also worth remembering that Real Madrid have not beaten Atlético at home in La Liga since December 2021 (during the 2021-22 campaign), when they claimed a 2-0 victory with goals from Benzema and Marco Asensio. Since then, Atlético have managed to secure a 1-1 draw on each of their league visits to the Bernabéu.

Who will play for Real Madrid against Atlético?

For this crucial encounter, Ancelotti will regain five players who were absent from the Copa match: Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vázquez, Eduardo Camavinga, Kylian Mbappé, and Jude Bellingham.

However, the coach still faces significant defensive absences, including David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger, and the long-term injuries of Éder Militão and Dani Carvajal. Militão, however, was seen on the training pitch during the final session of the week, even making light contact with the ball.

With both central defenders missing, Tchouaméni will drop back from his usual pivot role—where he played in the Copa match—to partner with Raúl Asencio, who will make his Madrid derby debut. The main uncertainty in Ancelotti’s lineup lies at left-back: Fran García starts over Ferland Mendy, as the Frenchman will likely be saved for Madrid’s next major test—the Champions League knockout tie against Manchester City.

In midfield, Ancelotti opted for the more physical duo of Valverde and Ceballos to compete against Atlético’s De Paul, Barrios, and Koke. Meanwhile, Modrić and Arda Güler will start on the bench.

Leading the attack will be Bellingham, Vinícius, Mbappé, and Rodrygo—who together have scored 62 of Madrid’s 93 goals this season. Of these four, only Rodrygo started against Leganés, while Vinícius came on as a second-half substitute. Bellingham and Mbappé were both rested in that match to be fully prepared for the upcoming fixtures.

For Mbappé, this will be his first Madrid derby in a white shirt, having missed the previous encounter at the Metropolitano in September due to injury. Meanwhile, Bellingham has a less-than-favorable record against Atlético, with one win, two draws, and two losses in five meetings, and no goals scored against Simeone’s side.

Real Madrid’s confirmed starting XI against Atlético Madrid

Real Madrid’s starting eleven is: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Tchouaméni, Asencio, Fran García; Valverde, Ceballos; Rodrygo, Bellingham, Vinícius; and Mbappé.

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Key players such as Modrić, Brahim, Endrick, and Gonzalo will be available off the bench. Beyond the starting eleven, the squad includes: goalkeepers Lunin and Sergio Mestre; defenders Vallejo, Mendy (or Fran García), Jacobo, and Lorenzo; midfielders Camavinga and Arda Güler; and forwards Endrick and Gonzalo.

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