Xabi Alonso expected to ring in the changes for Real Madrid vs Valencia | OneFootball

Following a hard-fought 2-1 win over Barcelona in the season’s first El Clasico, Real Madrid are slated to take on Valencia this weekend.

However, the bigger worry for coach Xabi Alonso will be next week’s Champions League encounter against Liverpool at Anfield.

As a result, team selection against Valencia will be key as Alonso looks to keep his troops fresh for the Liverpool tie.

Xabi Alonso to ring in the changes

As reported by MARCA (h/t Madrid Zone), Alonso is expected to rotate his squad vs Valencia, as he keeps one eye on the Liverpool clash.

The Real Madrid coach is already missing out on the services of David Alaba, Dani Carvajal and Antonio Rudiger, which means defensive players, in particular, are running the risk of overload heading into the Valencia clash.

Xabi Alonso will make changes vs Valencia. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)

Federico Valverde, for one, is expected to continue at right-back for the foreseeable future, with Trent and Carvajal yet to return to full fitness.

However, it won’t be surprising to see Valverde being handed a rest vs Valencia. The same could apply for Dean Huijsen, given that he has recently returned from an injury.

It will be interesting to see if Vinicius Jr. will be a part of the rotation as well, given the growing rift between him and the coach.

If he does, Rodrygo could be a potential beneficiary while Brahim Diaz, Fran Garcia and Franco Mastantuono are some of the other players vying for a starting role.

Jude Bellingham looks likely to continue in midfield, having scored his first league goal of the season against Barcelona. But whether or not Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga get rested remains to be seen.