After a hard-fought encounter in the UEFA Champions League against Manchester City, Real Madrid shift their focus back to La Liga as they get set to take on RCD Mallorca on Saturday.
While there is the distraction of playing Manchester City again next week, Real Madrid cannot take their eyes off the ball in the league as Barcelona are not very far behind in the table and the Clasico is on the horizon.
As such, Carlo Ancelotti & co. must grab all three points from Son Moix on Saturday afternoon but it will not be easy for them as Mallorca are no pushovers, having finished runners-up in the Copa del Rey this season.
Despite that, the game against Man City might influence Ancelotti’s team selection to a certain extent tomorrow, especially given the efforts some of the players put in on Tuesday.
Only two players are absent for the visitors on Saturday, with Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba the ones missing out due to injury. And here’s how Real Madrid could line up against Mallorca this weekend.
Starters
Andriy Lunin has become the undisputed starter between the sticks for Real Madrid in Thibaut Courtois’ absence and that is unlikely to change against Mallorca.
In front of him, though, wholesale changes are expected as Carlo Ancelotti is likely to take out some of his regulars in defence. As such, Lucas Vazquez and Fran Garcia could replace Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy as the full-backs.
Eder Militao is in line to make his first start in over 240 days after having suffered an ACL injury on the very first matchday of the season. It will be a test for the Brazilian to assess his readiness to face Man City next week.
Partnering him on Saturday would be Los Blancos captain Nacho Fernandez, who will also be hoping to put in a strong display and push for a start in the Champions League.
Moving into the centre of the park, Aurelien Tchouameni is a certainty to feature as the pivot, given that he is suspended for the Manchester City encounter next week.
Ancelotti could also consider his ever-present midfield duo of Federico Valverde and Toni Kroos. In their place, Luka Modric and Dani Ceballos could get a rare start against Mallorca.
Jude Bellingham did not have the best game earlier this week and appeared a bit fatigued at times. As such, it might make sense for him to get a breather, with Brahim Diaz filling in for the Englishman as the attacking midfielder.
Rodrygo did not train with the team today due to a knock and could be protected by Ancelotti, with Joselu expected to fill in for him. Vinicius Jr., though, is likely to hold on to his spot in the lineup.
Substitutes
Antonio Rudiger could get some minutes in the second half as it is unlikely that Eder Militao will play the whole game. There should also be minutes for Arda Guler, who has looked sharp in each appearance he has made.
The likes of Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, and Fede Valverde could also be called upon, especially if things are not going Real Madrid’s way.
