As the Santiago Bernabéu prepares for another unforgettable European night, Real Madrid finds itself in an unfamiliar and difficult position. When they host Manchester City on Wednesday in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, they will have to do so without a majority of their first-team squad.
What was already a concerning list of absentees has turned into a full-blown injury crisis. Ahead of the clash against Pep Guardiola’s side, the La Liga giants have confirmed that ten first-team players are set to miss the match, leaving head coach Álvaro Arbeloa with a serious challenge.
The most notable blow for Madrid is the absence of their star forward, Kylian Mbappé. The Frenchman, who has scored 13 goals in the Champions League this season, has not trained with the group as he continues to recover from a knee sprain. He was seen doing light running with a fitness coach, but the coaching staff is determined not to rush him back.
He is expected to target a return for the second leg at the Etihad Stadium next week.
He is not alone on the sidelines. English midfielder Jude Bellingham is also out as he recovers from a hamstring problem. The situation in the final third is made even worse by the long-term absence of Rodrygo, who is facing a lengthy spell out after suffering a serious knee injury that will require surgery.
The defensive line has been hit just as hard. Left-back Álvaro Carreras, who has been a regular starter since joining from Benfica, has been ruled out after tests confirmed a muscle injury in his right calf. The club expects him to be sidelined for about a week . This adds to an already crowded Bernabéu sickbay that includes long-term absentees Éder Militão and David Alaba, as well as midfielder Dani Ceballos .
With Carreras unavailable, the responsibility at left-back is likely to fall to Ferland Mendy. However, the French defender has had his own fitness troubles this season, featuring in just four matches across all competitions.
Midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, who has returned to full training after missing the previous game due to severe tooth pain, is another option to fill in defensively.
There is some positive news for the home side. Defender Antonio Rüdiger returned to group training on Monday and is expected to be available to partner in the heart of the defense . In attack, the burden will fall heavily on the shoulders of Vinícius Júnior.
The Brazilian winger remains Madrid’s best hope of breaching the City defense, especially with Mbappé and Rodrygo who will be watching from the stands.
This injury crisis means that Real Madrid enters this tie as underdogs, a rare status for the 15-time European champions.
Pep Guardiola’s side has already proven they can win at the Bernabéu this season, having claimed a 2-1 victory during the league phase.
They travel to Madrid with a relatively with a strong squad featuring the likes of Erling Haaland and a fit-again Rodri.