The pressure is on Real Madrid to snap a two-game losing streak in La Liga when they face off with Celta Vigo on Friday evening.
The 15-time European champions went from leading the league to trailing Barcelona by four points after two blunders against Osasuna and Getafe. Los Blancos scored just one goal across their last 180 minutes in the Spanish top-flight, once again proving that current problems extend far beyond just their wobbly defense.
To keep their La Liga title hopes alive, Real Madrid must stop the bleeding next time out, which happens to come against a formidable opponent in Celta Vigo. Claudio Giráldez’s men already secured a 2–0 victory in the reverse fixture back in December and will feel confident of pulling off another upset given their opponents’ injury woes.
Injuries, Suspensions Wreak Havoc on Real Madrid
Things were already looking bad for Real Madrid in the wake of Kylian Mbappé’s trip back to the sidelines due to a nagging knee issue. The team’s leading goalscorer joined midfield maestro Jude Bellingham and leading center back Éder Militão in the infirmary.
Then, in Monday’s defeat, the situation turned dire. Rodrygo tore the ACL and meniscus in his right knee, ruling him out for the season and the World Cup. Dean Huijsen, Álvaro Carreras and Franco Mastantuono also all entered the referee’s book—with the latter seeing red—and picked up suspensions for Friday’s clash.
As if missing seven players was not bad enough, Los Blancos are also without the injured Dani Ceballos and David Alaba. Plus, Álvaro Arbeloa is sweating over the statuses of Raúl Asencio and Eduardo Camavinga; the defender is nursing a neck injury while the midfielder is dealing with a toothache.
Should Asencio and Camavinga recover in time, the two players will slot into Arbeloa’s XI to fill in the gaps left by the unsettling crisis hitting the Spanish capital. Up top, the Spanish boss will likely deploy Vinicius Junior and Gonzalo García, two of only three attackers available.
- ⚠️ Key injuries, absentees, doubts: Kylian Mbappé, Rodrygo, Jude Bellingham, Éder Militão, Dean Huijsen, Dani Ceballos, Raúl Asencio, Franco Mastantuono, Álvaro Carreras, David Alaba, Eduardo Camavinga
- 🔢 Predicted formation: 4-4-2
Real Madrid Predicted Lineup vs. Celta Vigo (4-4-2)
GK: Thibaut Courtois—Once again with a makeshift defense in front of him, Courtois will be under pressure to stand on his head and bail out his team in a must-win match.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—The England international will have redemption on the mind after a poor performance on Monday, which got him hooked just 55 minutes into the contest.
CB: Raúl Asencio—It is likely quicker than the club would like, but Asencio could be forced to return to the XI just one week after he suffered a scary neck injury. The Spaniard featured in training in the build-up to the match.
CB: Antonio Rüdiger—Rüdiger is set to make his 170th appearance for Real Madrid, an occasion he will hope to celebrate with three points.
LB: Fran García—With Carreras suspended, García could make his first start in nearly two months. He has competition for the job, though, from Camavinga, who Arbeloa has deployed at left back before.
RM: Federico Valverde—Just when Valverde was looking at his best again, he put together a poor effort on Monday. Still, the midfielder has tallied four goal contributions in his last five appearances.
CM: Arda Güler—If there were more players avaliable for Real Madrid, Güler would likely be back on the bench following a string of unimpactful outings. With little other options, though, the Turkish youngster is still in line to start.
CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—If his services are not needed as an emergency center back, Tchouaméni will resume his role in midfield, where he acts as a shield in front of a vulnerable defense.
LM: Eduardo Camavinga—All signs point to Camavinga recovering in time for the trip to Vigo, leaving Arbeloa to decide whether the Frenchman starts in the midfield or at left back. If Monday’s defeat was any indication, the team needs his services in the middle of the park.
ST: Gonzalo García—Without Rodrygo or Mastantuono available, Gonzalo once again is tasked with doing his best Mbappé impression up top. The Spaniard has found the back of the net just once in his last nine appearances.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Real Madrid XI vs. Celta Vigo: Selection Crisis Hits Arbeloa—Injury News, Predicted Lineup.
