Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed his matchday squad for this evening's Champions League semi-final first leg against Manchester City.
Current holders Madrid host City at the semi-final stage for the second consecutive year, having progressed past the Blues on their way to the title last season. Carlo Ancelotti's side were two goals behind going into added time of the second leg last year, with a quick-fire brace from Rodrygo and Karim Benzema's extra-time penalty sending them to the final.
Los Blancos have endured an underwhelming league campaign by their standards, sitting third and 14 points behind La Liga leaders and El Clasico rivals Barcelona. But last weekend saw them win the Copa del Rey and they will go into this evening's clash with confidence.
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They will also go into the first leg boosted by the return of Luka Modric. The 37-year-old has missed the last three games with a thigh injury, but Ancelotti confirmed on Monday he will return and the Croatian international has been included in the matchday squad.
Dani Ceballos has also been named, despite reports in Spain earlier this week that he would be out for around a week with a muscular problem. The pair join Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni in the Madrid midfield.
Where Ancelotti will be at a loss is at the back, with centre-back Eder Militao out through suspension while left-back Ferland Mendy has been out since March with a calf injury. The Spanish side will have Dani Carvajal, David Alaba, Jesus Vallejo, Nacho, Alvaro Odriozola, Lucas Vazquez and Antonio Rudiger to choose from.
Madrid are at full strength in attack with everyone coming through Saturday's Copa del Rey success unscathed. Rodrygo, the man who scored both normal time goals last year, joins the winning penalty taker Benzema and danger-man Vinicius Jr in the squad, with Eden Hazard, Marco Asensio and Mariano Diaz also included.
In goal, Thibaut Courtois is joined by Andriy Lunin and Luis Lopez.
Real Madrid squad in full
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, López
Defenders: Carvajal, Alaba, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Vazquez, Rüdiger
Midfielders: Kroos, Modrić, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos
Forwards: Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, Mariano
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