Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti
We are just a week away before the season’s first El Clasico gets underway. It promises to be an exciting and rather consequential contest between two clubs, who have enjoyed an excellent start to their domestic campaigns.
For Real Madrid, a win against Barcelona could see them usurp the Catalans at the top of the league table. However, with a game against Shakhtar Donetsk awaiting them in midweek, there remains a layer of confusion as far as the team selection is concerned.
To that end, Carlo Ancelotti was asked to provide an update in regard to his potential starting eleven against Barcelona later this weekend.
The Italian was asked about the defensive personnel, in particular, following Eder Militao’s recent knock. Ancelotti, though, has appeared coy on the subject, adding that he is unsure of the defensive personnel that will feature against Barcelona next weekend.
“I still don’t know who will play vs Shakhtar! Militao has muscle contraction. Whoever plays in El Clasico, they will be good defenders,” he said (h/t Barça Universal) when asked about the defenders that will form the Real Madrid backline in El Clasico.
Militao’s muscle contraction could be significant for Real Madrid as the Brazilian international has proven to be the club’s defensive lynchpin in recent years. The defender also starred in Los Blancos‘ recent win over Getafe. He scored the winning goal while responsibly leading the backline to help Ancelotti’s men keep a valuable clean sheet.
His potential absence from the FC Barcelona game could force Ancelotti to deploy David Alaba at the heart of the backline.
However, with a week still remaining before Real Madrid lock horns with their arch-rivals, Militao will have ample time to recover from his knock and potentially return in time for El Clasico.
[Source: madriduniversal.com]