Bellingham races the Derbi clock

A bucket of cold water and several windows of hope. Madrid began preparing for the derby against Atlético with the blow of Courtois’s injury, which will keep him out for six weeks. One man goes into the treatment room and others are lining up to come out. Carreras and Asencio are first in line to return, and Bellingham is pushing to be ready for Sunday. Three comebacks that leave Arbeloa with five confirmed absences: Courtois, Rodrygo, Mendy, Ceballos, and Militao. The Brazilian center back is also close to returning: his comeback is expected after the upcoming international break.

Bellingham completed part of the session with the group. A step forward for the player, who had already traveled to Manchester with the team to show solidarity. A déjà vu moment for Jude, who found himself in a similar situation before the first league derby. Back then, he made his first start after shoulder surgery in the summer. He has not been ruled out of Sunday’s squad, although after more than six weeks on the sidelines, it still seems a stretch to see him in the starting lineup.

There is more optimism around Carreras and Asencio. Both completed the session. The Galician fullback was already on the bench at the Etihad, though he did not play. He has missed the last four matches; Asencio, the last three with a muscle overload in his right leg. Two returns that give Arbeloa room to maneuver in a defense where, in recent games, Rüdiger, Huijsen, and Fran García have had no backup.

Militao after the break

The next player back will be Militao, who is on track to meet the timetable for his return. The center back has already spent several days taking part in some drills with his teammates, and this Thursday he again completed part of the session with the group. The schedule is working in his favor because of the international break coming up now. If nothing goes wrong, he should be available when competition resumes. Madrid’s first games back are on April 5 in Mallorca and then on Tuesday, April 8, against Bayern.

Five absences for the derby

With Bellingham still a doubt, Arbeloa has five absences for the derby against Atlético: Courtois, Rodrygo, Mendy, Ceballos, and Militao. On the return side, he also gets Mastantuono back, after the midfielder missed the last two league matches through suspension.

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