Real Madrid will be without a key player vs Man Cityplaceholder image
Real Madrid will be without a key player vs Man City | AFP via Getty Images
Manchester City travel to face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie this week.
The Blues have already beaten Madrid away in the Champions League league phase and have been drawn to face the La Liga giants in the round of 16. City will make the trip to the Spanish capital for the first leg on Wednesday night, before they welcome Madrid to Manchester next week.
City are sweating over the fitness of star striker Erling Haaland after he missed the weekend win over Newcastle, but he might not be the only star missing this week. Madrid are set to be without a host of high-profile players for the first leg and have been handed a fresh injury blow just days before the match.
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Real Madrid handed injury blow as key player ruled out vs Man City
Real Madrid have confirmed left-back Álvaro Carreras will miss their upcoming clash with Man City after he suffered a calf injury.
The former Manchester United youngster has been a regular in the Madrid side this season, but is set for a spell on the sidelines, with no specific timeframe on his return to action.
In a statement released on Monday, Madrid wrote: "After the medical examinations conducted today on our player Álvaro Carreras by the Real Madrid medical team, he has been diagnosed with a muscle tear in the calf of his right leg, and we are awaiting the development of his condition."
It is the latest setback for head coach Álvaro Arbeloa, after Eder Militao, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo all missed training at the start of the week. There is hope England international Bellingham could be fit for the return leg in Manchester after his recent hamstring issue, while Mbappe is reportedly making progress after his knee injury.
There will be a clearer indication of team news for both sides when the pre-match press conferences and open training sessions are held on Tuesday.
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