Xabi Alonso Reportedly Set To Give Real Madrid Player His Fifth La Liga Start This Season

It's another massive game for Real Madrid, as a win is now a must against Celta Vigo. With Barcelona playing 24 hours earlier, they put the pressure on Los Blancos with their victory, putting another four-point cushion between them again.

They handled the same situation in mid-week, cutting the lead back to one point with a 3-0 win over Athletic Club. Xabi Alonso picked a strong team for the tricky away game and was rewarded, but did see another couple of injuries.

Against Os Celestes today, it will be the third game in seven days. With Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, the Spanish coach may make some changes. According to Diario AS, one Los Blancos player is expected to make just their fifth league start of the season.

Xabi Alonso To Rotate The Staring Lineup vs Celta Vigo

With the games coming thick and fast before the winter break, Xabi Alonso may see the game against Celta Vigo as an opportunity to rotate. According to Alberto P. Sierra at Diario AS, Dani Ceballos is going to start in the midfield today.

It would only be his fifth start of the season in La Liga and his sixth in all competitions. It's been a very different season from how he ended the 2024-25 season, when he was a regular starter under Carlo Ancelotti. At one point, he was seen as a must-start, putting in several top performances before his injury.

It looked like Ceballos was heading out of the club in the summer, with French side Marseille close to agreeing a deal. However, the 29-year-old blocked the move, wanting to stay in Madrid and fight for his place. He has not yet won a regular starting job, but he has been used as a good rotation piece, as he may do today.

MORE: Real Madrid vs Celta Vigo Preview: Start Time, Team News, How To Watch, Live Stream & Odds

Alonso is also set to bring back Arda Guler after he started on the bench in Bilbao. The Turk has been struggling in recent weeks to get into games, but could have an opportunity to find his form if Fede Valverde drops back to right-back to cover the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold.

There is a possible start for Raul Asencio, according to Sierra, which makes sense as Antonio Rudiger has just returned from an injury that kept him out since September. The German international could be rested ahead of the big Champions League game against Manchester City.

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