LALIGA
Real Madrid injury update ahead of Celta clash: Mbappé, Vinícius, Bellingham, Courtois...
Carlo Ancelotti has some key stars ready for Los Blancos' LaLiga return at Vigo, while others miss out.
An inconvenient FIFA break may have turned into an advantage for Real Madrid. The international window has provided Carlo Ancelotti with the opportunity to fine-tune his squad ahead of a decisive week, during which they will face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League (Tuesday, 22 October) and Barcelona in LaLiga Clásico (Saturday, 26), with a trip on Saturday before that in Balaídos to take on Celta Vigo.
Mbappé and Vini ready for Celta
Ancelotti will travel to Vigo with only three long-term injuries: David Alaba, Brahim Díaz, and Dani Carvajal. None of the nine players on international duty suffered injuries, and Kylian Mbappé, Thibaut Courtois, Vinícius Jr, and Éder Militão, who have been following specific training plans, as well as Andriy Lunin, who recovered from gastroenteritis, are all ready for the match against Claudio Giráldez’s team.
LaLiga EA Sports 2024/2025
| Classification | PTS | WM | TM | LM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Barcelona | 24 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| 2Real Madrid | 21 | 6 | 3 | 0 |
| 3Atlético | 17 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| Upcoming matches | |
|---|---|
| Celta - Real Madrid | S-19/10 15:00 |
| Real Madrid - Barcelona | S-26/10 15:00 |
| Valencia - Real Madrid | S-02/11 16:00 |
*Data updated to date Oct 17th, 2024
Of the four players who were dealing with injuries, the one who has remained most uncertain was Thibaut Courtois, who has been recovering from an adductor injury in his left leg, which caused him to miss the last two matches before the break (against Lille and Villarreal). The final decision on Courtois was not expected until the eve of the match, but the Belgian goalkeeper has shown positive signs throughout the week, and his presence in the starting eleven tomorrow is now considered certain.
In addition to his key goalkeeper, Ancelotti also has his two biggest attacking threats available: Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. Mbappé, who returned early from his mini-vacation and has been training at Valdebebas since Monday, has recovered from his thigh issues. Vinícius, who alternated between working at Valdebebas and at home during the break, has eased the neck discomfort he had been experiencing.
Lastly, Militão has also recovered from his left quadriceps injury. The defender has been training with the team since Wednesday and is set to form the central defensive partnership with Rüdiger once again.
On Thursday, the three remaining international players (Rodrygo, Endrick, and Valverde, who did specific gym work) returned to training, and Friday morning was the final session before the team travels north from the capital to Vigo.