REAL MADRID
Real Madrid possible lineup against Chelsea | US pre-season soccer tour
Here’s how Real Madrid are expected to line up in their final pre-season game, against Chelsea.
Real Madrid move into their third and final pre-season test. After defeats against Milan and Barça, the reigning European champions face Chelsea in Charlotte, North Carolina, in their last friendly before going for the first trophy of the season: the European Super Cup (Wednesday 14 in Warsaw against Atalanta).
“These are pre-season matches, we have to improve the individual fitness conditions of the players. This is the plan, then we all come back together to prepare for the first match,” said a relaxed Ancelotti after the first training session that Madrid held in Charlotte.
Will Vinicius Jr play for Real Madrid against Chelsea in Charlotte?
The Italian coach gave some clues about the starting eleven he will field in the last match of the tour, which is part of the Soccer Champions Tour.
“Now we are going to give minutes to Rodrygo as well, in the first half, as well as to Vinicius”, said Ancelotti. The former did not play a single minute against Barcelona due to fatigue and the latter featured for just 33 minutes, although it was more than enough time to give Madrid’s game some energy. The Brazilian pair, like their compatriot Éder Militão, who did start in the Clásico, had not been in the match against Milan.
The victims of the introduction of the two Brazilians will likely be Brahim and Güler. The Turk, however, could keep his place in the starting eleven, moving back to the middle of the pitch, in which case it would be Ceballos who misses out. This seems unlikely, it must be said, given Ancelotti’s recent quotes regarding wanting to see Arda as close to the area as possible: “I think the closer to the goal, the better.
“Arda is very effective, he scores a lot with little space, he has a special talent. He shows it better closer to the goal. He should not play on the left. With that left foot that he has, if he has the opportunity to shoot, he should do it,” the Madrid coach has said during the tour.
Possible Real Madrid starting XI against Chelsea
The possible starting eleven that Ancelotti could field against Chelsea is the following: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Militao, Rüdiger, Fran García; Ceballos or Güler, Mario Martín, Modric; Rodrygo, Endrick and Vinicius. Carletto has another twelve players on the trip to the United States: Lunin, Fran González, Vallejo, Lorenzo, Jacobo Ramón, Asencio, Joan Martínez, Obrador, Jeremy de León, Nico Paz, Brahim and Latasa.
The seven internationals (Carvajal, Mbappé, Mendy, Camavinga, Tchouaméni, Bellingham and Valverde) have not yet started pre-season will return to work in Valdebebas. Friday 9th will be the first training session for the entire squad, except for Alaba, who continues with the recovery from his torn cruciate ligament and has not travelled on the tour.