Real Madrid suffer last-minute injury blow

Real Madrid faces defensive concerns ahead of their LaLiga clash against Rayo Vallecano this Sunday 9 March at 11:15am ET in the 27th round of the competition.

Antonio Rüdiger missed Saturday’s training session due to the flu and is a serious doubt for the match at the Santiago Bernabéu. The German defender, who has been carrying a heavy workload and experiencing discomfort in one of his knees, did not train with his teammates and is unlikely to feature against Rayo, though Madrid has not ruled him out completely.

As a result, Carlo Ancelotti is expected to field a backline with David Alaba and Nacho Fernández in central defence, Fran García at left-back, and Lucas Vázquez as the most likely option at right-back.

Bellingham back for Madrid

However, Federico Valverde, who trained without issues, could also play in that position. That said, Ancelotti may opt to rest Valverde with an eye on Wednesday’s Champions League round of 16 second leg against Atlético Madrid at the Metropolitano, following Madrid’s 2-1 victory in the first leg.

The home side will welcome back Jude Bellingham to the squad after the Englishman served a ban in both LaLiga and the Champions League for separate suspensions.

Bellingham is a huge plus for Real Madrid in what is a congested time on the football calendar. He is Madrid’s fifth-most frequent passer this season, completing 1,731 passes, while also ranking as the team’s third-highest goal contributor with 22 — tied with Rodrygo and behind only Vinícius and Mbappé.

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The training session ahead of the game against Rayo Vallecano also included several youth players: goalkeepers Fran González, Mestre and Súnico, defenders Laimini Fati, Fortea and Diego Aguado and striker Barroso.

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