Real Madrid will go into the second leg of their Round of 16 Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid having avoided the worst of a recent injury crisis, but the season is taking a heavy toll on their stars. Los Blancos got over the line against Rayo Vallecano this weekend, but three of their attacking stars were not feeling 100% by the end of the game.
The most notable was Jude Bellingham, who went down clutching his calf late on, and while he continued on, was taken off shortly afterwards by Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian manager told the press after the game that Bellingham was not an injury concern for Atletico, but Cadena SER explain that he was one of three players that finished the match with discomfort.
Brazilian duo Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior also finished with pain. The former has a hand injury after he was accidentally stepped on after falling to the ground, while Vinicius has a light injury to his toe on his right foot. Neither are expected to miss the Madrid derby, but is further evidence of the physical toll this season is taking on Real Madrid.
Fede Valverde, Antonio Rudiger and Thibaut Courtois are all expected to start on Wednesday night at the Metropolitano too. Valverde and Courtois have also been nursing muscle discomfort in recent weeks, while Rudiger was taken ill over the weekend.
These issues of course are on top of long-term issues keeping Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao out of action, but a number of stars appear to be dealing with more minor issues keeping them from being at their very best. Rudiger has pain in his knee, while Eduardo Camavinga has also been dealing with a back problem preventing him from moving as freely as they would like. Given the packed calendar, Ancelotti has had little opportunity to rest them.
