Real Madrid have spent recent days psyching themselves up for their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Arsenal on Wednesday night at the Santiago Bernabeu, which kicks off at 21:00 CEST. Carlo Ancelotti will have little room for changes to his side though.
The Italian manager is without Eduardo Camavinga, who was sent off at the end of the first leg, who joins the injured Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal, Andriy Lunin, and left-back Ferland Mendy. Meanwhile Arsenal remain without Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jorginho, but it looks as if they will have Ben White, Jurrien Timber and Thomas Partey, who were all doubts.
Marca believe that it will be Lucas Vazquez back in at right-back to allow Fede Valverde to return to midfield, alongside Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman is back from suspension and he is one of three changes, predicted, the other being Fran Garcia’s return at left-back for David Alaba.
That appears to be the consensus, based on Diario AS‘ prediction. They do have doubts over whether it will be Vazquez or Luka Modric in the side – the Croatian started the first leg. Most interesting is the fact that Dani Ceballos is not in either line-up. The ex-Arsenal midfielder returned from injury on Sunday against Alaves for the final minutes, but it looks as if he will only play off the bench.
Real Madrid have five players at risk of suspension in the event of an unlikely semi-final, with Antonio Rudiger, Lucas Vazquez, Luka Modric, Endrick Felipe and Vinicius Junior all walking the tightrope. Mikel Arteta’s side have Timber, Declan Rice, Gabriel Martinelli, and Partey in the same situation.
It appears Arteta will not mess with the recipe that functioned for him the first leg. Neither paper predicts any changes from Arsenal for the second leg. Timber and Partey are perhaps the biggest question marks due to their fitness, with Mikel Merino to continue up front.
