Real Madrid XI vs Man City: Starting lineup, confirmed…

Real Madrid XI vs Man City: Starting lineup, confirmed team news, injury latest for Champions League today

Predictions: Real Madrid - (ES Composite)

Real Madrid are without several stars including Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham as they host Manchester City in the Champions League last 16.

Los Blancos, the record-holding 15-time winners of this competition, were forced to reach this stage via last month’s playoffs after finishing ninth in the league phase, a point and a place behind City.

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Madrid exacted revenge against Benfica - who had handed them a third loss from their final five league phase fixtures - in that two-legged play-off tie, winning 3-1 on aggregate to set up a rematch with Pep Guardiola’s men, who beat them at the Bernabeu earlier this season.

Alvara Arbeloa has been dealt a tough hand with injuries lately and is without star striker Mbappe, who returned to the training pitch this week but not with the main group as he rehabs a knee injury.

In another blow to the hosts’ attack, Rodrygo has been ruled out possibly through the start of next season after rupturing his ACL.

Bellingham, meanwhile, has been sidelined for more than a month with a hamstring injury, and will play no part.

Eder Militao is out with a hamstring issue as well, with Dani Ceballos and Alvaro Carreras missing through calf problems, and David Alaba’s own calf means the Austrian defender is out.

Thankfully for Arbeloa, Eduardo Camavinga is available again, but he does not displace 18-year-old Thiago Pitarch in central midfield, as the teenager joins Aurelien Tchouameni and skipper Federico Valverde in midfield.

Dean Huijsen is also given the nod in the backline alongside veteran Antonio Rudiger.

Thibaut Courtois is between the posts.

The defensive injuries, particularly to Carreras, means Ferland Mendy continues at left-back, with Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back against his old foe from England.