Seven Real Madrid stars absent from pre-Manchester City training on Tuesday | OneFootball

Alvaro Arbeloa was without seven members of his Real Madrid squad on Tuesday morning as his side trained for the final time ahead of the first-leg Champions League last-16 clash with Manchester City.

The Spanish giants are navigating a severe injury crisis at possibly the worst moment in their season, amid a gruelling domestic stretch that most recently saw them secure a narrow 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Friday.

Manager Alvaro Arbeloa is currently having to reinvent his defensive line and possibly areas further forward up the pitch to combat a Manchester City side that recently dismantled Newcastle at St James’ Park in a vital FA Cup fifth round win.

The atmosphere among reporters at Valdebebas on Tuesday morning was one of focus on the situation surrounding injured names amid widespread reports concerning the fitness of key names.

Who is missing from the Real Madrid training squad?

Now, as per The Athletic’s Mario Cortegana, all of Eder Militao, David Alaba, Alvaro Carreras, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Rodrygo were absent from Real Madrid training on Tuesday morning.

The absence of Mbappe (knee) and Bellingham (hamstring) represents a significant loss of 42 combined goal contributions for Los Blancos this season.

Arbeloa’s Tactical Headache vs City

Arbeloa is expected to lean heavily on Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr to provide the attacking spark, while a defensive duo of Antonio Rüdiger and Aurélien Tchouaméni will be tasked with stopping a well-rested Erling Haaland.

Looking ahead to Wednesday night, the Bernabéu crowd will also be deemed as vital in bridging the gap left by seven high-profile absentees. While City hold the psychological edge from a 1-2 win in Madrid back in December, the perceived European DNA of Real Madrid often thrives under such adversity.