Real Madrid XI vs Barcelona: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injury latest for El Clasico | OneFootball

It’s been a turbulent week for Los Blancos ahead of crunch La Liga clash

Real Madrid are likely to be without Kylian Mbappe for this weekend’s game against Barcelona.

It is the second ‘Clasico’ of the league campaign, after Real’s 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu back in October.

Since then, they have played their fierce rivals in a 3-2 thriller in the Spanish Super Cup final, which Barca came out on top in, and Frenkie de Jong was sent off late on.

First, Mbappe was reported to have had a stand-off with a coach who was acting as an assistant referee in a training game, before Antonio Rudiger was made to apologise for an incident he was then involved in.

On Thursday, Real confirmed that there had been a scuffle between Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, with the latter hospitalised with a head injury that will rule him out of this weekend’s game.

No decision has been taken yet on whether Tchouameni will be internally suspended or fined.

As for Mbappe, his hamstring injury kept him out of the last outing against Espanyol, but he angered supporters after he was seen pictured on holiday in Sardinia while his team-mates grafted for a 2-0 victory that just about kept them in the title race.

The striker is a major doubt for this fixture, and as such, you would expect either Vinicius Junior to continue as a false nine, or Gonzalo Garcia to lead the line.

Doubt: Kylian Mbappe

PA

Arbeloa is also dealing with a host of other absentees. Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Dani Carvajal are all out for the remainder of the season with their respective injury problems.

Arda Guler is also set to sit this match out with a muscle injury, but he could return before term is out.

As such, it leaves Los Blancos relatively thin on the ground for what is their most important domestic game of the season.

In goal, Thibaut Courtois will continue between the sticks, and you would expect Trent Alexander-Arnold to play at right-back, with Dean Huijsen and Rudiger in the middle.

At left-back, expect Fran Garcia or Alvaro Carreras to replace the injured Mendy.

In midfield, Valverde won’t feature, and questions remain over whether Tchouameni will be fielded.

Thiago Pitarch has solidified himself as a regular starter under Arbeloa and should get the nod once more in the middle of the park, with Jude Bellingham ahead of him as the box-crashing No10.

Should Tchouameni not play, then that leaves a vacancy for Eduardo Camavinga to claim.

If Vinicius does play up top, then Brahim Diaz is likely to be fielded off the left once more, but if Garcia comes into the side, that could see Diaz shifted to the right, Vinicius off the left, and the young Spaniard leading the line.

Predicted Real Madrid XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois; A-Arnold, Huijsen, Rudiger, F. Garcia; Tchouameni, Pitarch; Diaz, Bellingham, Vinicius; G. Garcia

Doubts: Tchouameni, Mbappe

Injured: Mendy, Valverde, Militao, Rodrygo, Carvajal, Guler

Venue: Nou Camp

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