Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham will return to the Real Madrid starting lineup when they host Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.
Real Madrid will aim to leapfrog Barcelona to the summit of La Liga when they welcome Villarreal to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday night. Xabi Alonso has no new injury concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy remain in the treatment room, leaving Alonso in a spot of bother as he attempts to name a strong defensive unit against Villarreal.
However, there is some positive news, as Eder Militao is fit and available to take on Villarreal. The Brazilian international is in the matchday squad for this weekend’s La Liga clash. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, Alonso discussed the fitness of his players.
The Real Madrid manager said, “Normally, it’s the players who give us information about their national teams. We’re always open to any questions from the coaches. It’s happened in the past, and I try to help out as best I can.”
“The fitness coaches do have more contact if a player arrives with an injury, so they can monitor their workload. We try to maintain good communication, and so far there haven’t been any problems.”
Alonso also spoke about Federico Valverde after the recent comments by the Uruguayan utility man. The Real Madrid boss said, “He’s ready for tomorrow, as we all are. We know how important tomorrow’s match is for the team. After the last two matches, we want to finish this period on a high with a good performance and a win tomorrow. That’s what we need.”
Valverde will return to the starting lineup this weekend, and he will start as the right wing-back against Villarreal. Thibaut Courtois is an automatic pick between the sticks, and the home side will line up in a 3-4-1-2 formation in front of him against Villarreal. The central defensive unit will feature Eder Militao, Dean Huijsen, and Aurelien Tchouameni.
Valverde and Alvaro Carreras will be the two wing-backs, with Arda Guler and Eduardo Camavinga pairing up in the central areas. Finally, Jude Bellingham will reprise the no. 10 role, with Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe completing the numbers in the offensive third.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Militao, Huijsen, Tchouameni; Valverde, Guler, Camavinga, Carreras; Bellingham; Mbappe, Vinicius Junior