Real Madrid will be eager to return to winning ways and keep their faint La Liga title hopes alive when they lock horns with Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on Sunday night. Alvaro Arbeloa has new injury concerns to worry about ahead of his side’s latest fixture.
Dani Carvajal (toe) and Kylian Mbappe (hamstring) are the latest absentees for the away side. They have joined Thibaut Courtois (thigh), Eder Militao (hamstring), Arda Guler (thigh), and Rodrygo Goes (knee) in the treatment room.
Additionally, Dani Ceballos is unlikely to take on Espanyol amid suggestions that the Spanish midfielder has had a rift with Arbeloa. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, the Spanish tactician addressed the Ceballos situation.
The Real Madrid head coach said, “I do not engage in public debates about the situations I have with my players. It’s been over 20 years since I first entered the dressing room of the Real Madrid first team, and the first thing I learned from the veteran players is that what happens in the Real Madrid dressing room stays in the Real Madrid dressing room. This is something I have carried with me since then and still uphold to this day.”
Meanwhile, Arbeloa also discussed Franco Mastantuono’s progress, considering the Argentine playmaker has not featured much lately. He said, “He’s a young man who is working very well and surely, when he plays, has that desire to show everything he has inside and demonstrate to the madridista fans the player they have signed. He is truly young and could still be playing for the club’s youth team, but you can see the talent he has and his great maturity.”
“It doesn’t seem like he’s 18 years old based on how he speaks or behaves, and he seems to me to be a young man with an extraordinary future. He is someone worth investing in because of his talent, his abilities, his commitment, and his mentality. I think that at Real Madrid, Argentine players always have a place because they share values like temperament and a winning mentality, which align with what Real Madrid represents. Franco embodies very well what a Real Madrid player should be. Hopefully, we can enjoy him for many years.”
Andriy Lunin will continue to deputise for Thibaut Courtois between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against Espanyol on Sunday. The backline will feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, and Ferland Mendy.
As for the midfield unit, Thiago Pitarch Pinar will line up alongside Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde again, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga missing out. Finally, Gonzalo Garcia, who will replace Kylian Mbappe, will be the central striker for the away side, with Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz being the two wide attackers.
Predicted Real Madrid XI: Lunin; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Mendy; Bellingham, Valverde, Pitarch; Diaz, Garcia, Vinicius Junior
