Raúl Asensio, Dani Ceballos,and Rodrygo Goes have serious chances of getting to start against local rivals Rayo Vallecano as Xabi Alonso is likely to take squad rotation more seriously in the light of the Liverpool defeat in the UEFA Champions League, Spanish media claimed.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, who was officially back against Liverpool after suffering an injury during the UEFA Champions League match against Olympique de Marseille in September, is also likely to start games with the injury now behind him. Vinícius Júnior, Éder Militão, Dean Huijsen, and Eduardo Camavinga could be among the players who get to rest, while Kylian Mbappé, Federico Valverde, and Arda Güler are likely to start.
Academy graduate Raúl Asensio has managed 509 minutes this season, starting four matches across competitions. Midfielder Ceballos, meanwhile, got three league game starts apart from in the European competition. However, the squad rotation is going to be most crucial for Rodrygo who has got only 348 minutes this season under Xabi, AS pointed out. The fans are currently unhappy with the Brazilian despite his illustrious history at the Spanish capital, and a string of irregular substitute appearances have not helped. Amidst strong speculations about his switch to the Premier League, a few starts will help Rodrygo to regain his form for good.
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Real Madrid are ahead of second-placed Barcelona by five points in the La Liga table before they visit Rayo, which is currently tenth. Xabi Alonso said his team will need to respond after Liverpool stymied his attack. Alonso, who took over from Carlo Ancelotti in May, has guided Real to 18 wins in 21 matches across all competitions.
However, defeats by Paris Saint-Germain, Atlético Madrid, and Liverpool, coupled with tactical decisions such as the sparing use of high-profile signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Endrick, have led to questions over Alonso’s approach. "We played well in the Clásico. We leave (Anfield) feeling bad for the loss," Alonso said. "We have to analyse what happened and then think about Rayo."