Real Madrid Team News: Injuries, suspensions and line-up vs Barcelona
In desperate need of victory at Camp Nou, Julen Lopetegui has an almost clean bill of health for what could prove a decisive match for the coach
Real Madrid are at near-full strength for Sunday’s must-win Clasico against Barcelona, as the Merengue look to turn around their stuttering season.
A run of disappointing results has seen the clouds gather over coach Julen Lopetegui, who is rumoured to be on his way out of Santiago Bernabeu.
Only three points will suffice to begin to close a four-point gap between the Liga leaders and Madrid, while defeat would almost certainly seal Lopetegui’s fate after just a handful of months in charge
There is good news and bad news for Lopetegui with regards to the coach’s two big injury worries, both in the full-back position.
Dani Carvajal remains sidelined with a calf injury and resumed light training only this week, meaning he will not take part in the Clasico.
Left-back Marcelo, however, has made a full recovery from an ankle knock sustained against Viktoria Plzen midweek and will be fit to start at Camp Nou.
Young Brazilian striker Vinicius Junior was the only potential absentee for Madrid due to a red card picked up for Castilla last weekend.
The Spanish Appeals Committee has overturned the second yellow card received by the teenager against Celta B, however, meaning he is cleared to form part of the Merengue squad on Sunday.
With just Carvajal missing from Madrid’s strongest XI, Lopetegui is expected to keep largely the same line-up that beat Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.
On Tuesday the former Spain coach experimented with Lucas Vazquez at right-back, the wideman giving the Merengue a more attacking option.
It is unlikely he will go as gung-ho against Barca, though, with Nacho returning to the post and Raphael Varane slotting in alongside Sergio Ramos in the middle of defence.
The middle will feature Madrid’s strongest trio of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro, while Vazquez returns to the bench.
Up front Lopetegui will have been happy to see Karim Benzema return to scoring ways after breaking a run of eight games without a goal against Viktoria.
The Frenchman will be accompanied by Isco and Gareth Bale, who has not netted for the Merengue since September’s 3-0 defeat of Roma.
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Kick off is 15:15 GMT (11:15 ET) on Sunday, and will be shown on Eleven Sports 1 in the United Kingdom. It will be shown on BeIn Sports in the United States, and on various channels around the world.