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Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid: Confirmed Starting XI

Aurelien Tchouameni returns after missing the last four games with an injury.
IMAGO / Alterphotos

Real Madrid could have kept the same team that beat Getafe 2-0 on Sunday. However, head coach Carlo Ancelotti has decided to make one change to the starting XI, with Aurelien Tchouameni coming in for Brahim Diaz and a possible formation change.

MORE: Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid: Matchday Squad Announced, Aurelien Tchouameni Returns

Los Blancos play fourth-placed Athletic Club, unbeaten in its last eight games in all competitions. This is a big test for the team, and they must win it, as Barcelona picked up three points yesterday.

Jude Bellingham Could Play as the False Nine

Carlo Ancelotti's decision to bring Aurelien Tchouameni to the starting XI would not have been straightforward. The Frenchman has missed the last four games with an ankle injury and could have started on the bench.

Ancelotti will be happy that he feels fit enough to start, adding experience to the team for a challenging away game at the San Mames in Bilbao.

It means Brahim Diaz drops to the bench, and Kylian Mbappe and Rodrygo Goes start at the forward positions on the team sheet. It could also mean Jude Bellingham plays in the false nine position, something he has done before for Los Blancos.

As expected, Fran Garcia starts at left-back, with Dane Ceballos starting in midfield ahead of Luka Modric.

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Jordan Merritt
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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