Real Madrid team news vs Villarreal: possible line-up, injuries...
Real Madrid take on Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday, before travelling to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup.
Before heading to Saudi Arabia for the Spanish Super Cup, Real Madrid visit Villarreal in LaLiga on Saturday, on a matchday that could serve to break Los Blancos’ top-of-the-table tie with Barcelona. Barça, who are currently ahead of their arch rivals on goal difference, go to Atlético Madrid on Sunday - so Madrid have the opportunity to put pressure on the Blaugrana in advance of that big-name clash at the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano.
Díaz, Odriozola and Carvajal out for Real Madrid
Madrid have three players unavailable for the trip to the Estadio de la Cerámica: Mariano Díaz, Álvaro Odriozola and Dani Carvajal. Díaz, who has been struggling with an ankle sprain over the past couple of weeks, trained alone on the eve of the Villarreal game. Odriozola was unable to complete Tuesday’s Copa del Rey win over Cacereño, and Carvajal has not trained with the squad since last weekend’s LaLiga victory against Real Valladolid.
Carvajal’s is the only absence that prevents head coach Carlo Ancelotti from fielding his first-choice line-up against Villarreal. “We’re going to send out a fresh team,” Ancelotti told reporters on Friday. “Most of those who didn’t play against Cacereño will play.” Having left eight first-team regulars out altogether for the Copa tie, the Italian’s starting XI in Vila-Real is set to include just one player - Lucas Vázquez - who played the full 90 minutes in midweek.
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Real Madrid’s possible XI vs Villarreal
Madrid can be expected to face Villarreal with the following team: Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Militão, Alaba, Mendy; Modric, Tchouaméni, Kroos; Valverde, Benzema and Vinicius. Ancelotti has named a 21-man squad for the game, so he will have 10 players on the bench: Lunin, Luis López, Nacho, Rüdiger, Vallejo, Camavinga, Ceballos, Asensio, Hazard and Rodrygo.
After 15 league games, Madrid still do not have a single player who is one yellow card away from incurring a ban for accumulated bookings.