Real Madrid Down to Bare Bones With Two New Defensive Injuries Before Elche

Álvaro Arbeloa is now without as many as 10 senior players.

Things get no easier for Álvaro Arbeloa. | Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Real Madrid will host Elche on Saturday with just five senior defenders in the squad after Raúl Asencio was left out through injury.

Álvaro Arbeloa confirmed midweek that left back Ferland Mendy had picked up an injury during the 3–0 win over Manchester City, joining a treatment room which, at the time, already included Álvaro Carreras, Éder Militão and David Alaba.

Asencio was expected to start Saturday’s game to hand a rest to Antonio Rüdiger, but the young defender could not make the trip because of an injury, forcing Arbeloa to continue with the pairing of Rüdiger and Dean Huijsen.

Right backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dani Carvajal are both fit and will compete for minutes opposite Fran García, the only available left back. Whichever player does not start on the right will be the only senior defender on the bench.

Helping make up the numbers is 19-year-old Diego Aguado, a center back by trade but one that is also comfortable on the left.

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Real Madrid’s Squad to Face Elche

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Sergio Mestre.
Defenders: Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fran García, Antoinio Rüdiger, Dean Huijsen, Diego Aguado.
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga, Federico Valverde, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Arda Güler, Manuel Ángel, César Palacios, Thiago Pitarch.
Forwards: Vinicius Junior, Gonzalo García, Brahim Díaz, Daniel Yáñez.

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The Key Players Missing for Real Madrid

Kylian Mbappé is one of 10 absentees. | David S. Bustamante/Real Madrid/Getty Images

Losing Mendy and Asencio takes Real Madrid’s list of absentees up to 10 heading into Saturday’s game, five of whom are defenders.

In midfield, Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos will be forced to watch from the sidelines, while Kylian Mbappé and Rodrygo are both out injured. Young winger Franco Mastantuono will serve the second of his two-game suspension following his red card against Getafe.

Aside from the obvious concerns that come with losing big names, Arbeloa will be worried by his limited chances to rotate his squad before the Champions League round of 16 second leg against Manchester City.

The only change to his defensive line is likely to come by force at left back, with rotation options limited further forward in the team. Eduardo Camavinga is the only available senior midfielder that did not start the first leg against City, and the same goes for Gonzalo García in attack.

Arbeloa will hope to find some minutes for the younger players in his squad, but only after his seniors get the job done against relegation-threatened Elche.

Los Blancos already sit four points behind Barcelona in the title race and cannot afford to lose focus on the task at hand domestically, even if Tuesday’s trip to the Etihad would appear more significant on paper.

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