Athletic Club vs. Real Madrid: Matchday Squad Announced, Aurelien Tchouameni Returns
Real Madrid faces fourth-placed Athletic Club on Wednesday, a vital clash at the top of the standings. The game was brought forward from January when Los Blancos was set to play in the Supercopa de Espana.
The match day squad has been announced, and as expected, midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is back from an ankle injury. Given the team's good form in La Liga, will coach Carlo Ancelotti start him on the bench?
Goalkeepers: Courtois, Lunin, Sergio Mestre
Defenders: Lucas v., Vallejo, Fran Garcia, Rüdiger, F. Mendy, R. Asencio, Lorenzo Aguado
Midfielders: Bellingham, Valverde, Modrić, Tchouameni, Arda Güler, D. Ceballos
Forwards: Mbappé, Rodrygo, Endrick, Brahim, Gonzalo
📋✅ Our squad for the match!
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) December 3, 2024
🆚 @Athletic_en#AthleticRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/Avwv0SAW8T
MORE: Athletic Club vs Real Madrid: Predicted Lineup And Team News
Despite Injuries, Ancelotti Has a Settled Starting XI
Carlo Ancelotti will likely start Aurelien Tchouameni on the bench, keeping the same starting XI that beat Getafe 2-0 on Sunday.
It's great to have the Frenchman back in the squad, with Real Madrid being very light at the center-back position. Despite his primary position being midfield, Tchouameni can play center-back and step in if any of the starting pair pick up an injury during the game.
If the game is tight, Los Blancos has game-changing players up top, but Arda Guler and Endrick will likely start on the bench.
There has been talk of Ancelotti using the winter transfer market to bring in a right-back. However, other reports have suggested they like academy prospect Lorenzo Aguado, who is in the matchday squad.
🚨 Regarding the RB spot, Ancelotti sees Loren Aguado as the academy player best suited to helping the first team. @Rodra10_97 pic.twitter.com/0dwOLkOJdj
— Madrid Xtra (@MadridXtra) December 3, 2024
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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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