Decision Reportedly Made On Real Madrid Left-Back Alvaro Carreras vs Manchester City
Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa was handed several boosts ahead of the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Manchester City.
The Spanish side were missing Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Alvaro Carreras, and Rodrygo from their starting lineup, all out with injuries. However, three of those are back in the squad for the trip to the Etihad.
It was confirmed that Bellingham was in the squad to be with his teammates and would not play any minutes. There were questions regarding Mbappe and Carreras on whether they would start. The latter could reportedly start on the bench for the second leg, according to Guillermo Rai of the Athletic.
Fran Garcia Reportedly to Start Second Leg
In the report, Rai suggested he expects Fran Garcia to start the game, with Alvaro Carreras starting on the bench. The summer signing has missed the last three games with an injury, and with the team leading 3-0, they don't see it necessary to risk him at the start.
"Álvaro Arbeloa was seen having a brief chat with left-back Fran García before training. Sources briefed on the situation say Álvaro Carreras is not expected to be fit enough to start tomorrow and is instead targeting the Madrid derby."Guillermo Rai
Carreras missed the first leg with his calf injury, with Ferland Mendy getting the start. The Frenchman was taken off at half-time with an injury, being replaced by Fran Garcia. Despite coming into a difficult game, Garcia continued where Mendy left off, defensively solid and pressing up the field when needed.
There is another big game this weekend, as Real Madrid welcome Atletico Madrid to the Bernabeu for an important La Liga game. Therefore, they have to look ahead to that also as they push Barcelona for the league title.
With Real Madrid holding a strong lead, Alvaro Arbeloa will reportedly start Carreras on the bench, as he may do with Kylian Mbappe. The French striker has missed the last four games and was expected to return for this game. However, he could start on the bench, and if things are going a little south, he could be called upon.
Jude Bellingham is hoping to be available for the Madrid derby at the weekend. The ideal scenario is all three will be fit and ready for that game, possibly given Mbappe and Carreras some minutes in a win over Manchester City.
-031bbeb5612ca252e2129722373fa56d.png "Jordan Merritt")
Jordan Merritt is a staff writer for Real Madrid On SI. Before joining On SI, he wrote at Fansided, covering Ole Miss football, basketball, and baseball. He has also written for YardBarker, Heavy Sports, and the official EFL site. Merritt is a big sports fan, spending most of his weekends watching Soccer, the NFL, the NBA, college football/basketball, and others. Before starting his career as a freelance writer, Merritt was an Engineer for over 10 years. He lives in West Yorkshire, England, and is keenly interested in sports trading cards.
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