Real Madrid News
Carlo Ancelotti set to bench veteran midfielder for RB Leipzig clash
Real Madrid will lock horns with German giants RB Leipzig in their second UEFA Champions League Group F encounter on Wednesday night.
The Merengues began the defence of their European crown with a handsome win over Celtic away in Scotland and will be gunning for another victory against the Bundesliga club.
However, they will have to go into the game without four players as Karim Benzema, Eder Militao and Lucas Vazquez have been ruled out while Alvaro Odriozola is also a major doubt.
With the game closing in, manager Carlo Ancelotti reportedly has his starting XI almost figured out. It had been previously reported that the Italian plans to start with a front-three of Federico Valverde, Rodrygo Goes and Vinicius Junior, with Eden Hazard dropping out.
Now, Diario AS (h/t Madrid Xtra) is reporting that Ancelotti has decided on his preferred midfield unit for the game against Leipzig on Wednesday.
It is claimed that the manager will opt to start with Luka Modric, Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga in the centre of the park, meaning veteran midfielder Toni Kroos will be left out on the bench.
The former Germany international captained the team on Sunday against RCD Mallorca and performed admirably. But, having started each of the last two matches, the Real Madrid superstar now looks set to be rested against Leipzig on Wednesday.
Instead, Tchouameni, who did not play a single minute over the weekend, will return to the side. The Merengues are said to be extremely happy with the French wonderkid and already see him as a vital player in the team.
Modric and Camavinga, who made substitute appearances against Mallorca, will be reinstated to the lineup as well. Valverde, who had started in midfield at the weekend, will be moved into the frontline as iterated earlier.
There could be one change in the defence as well, with Dani Carvajal expected to start at right-back after featuring for only 20 minutes on Sunday.
Real Madrid are in action later tonight as they take on Rayo Vallecano at the Santiago Bernabeu in La Liga.
Once that is out of the way, the Merengues will tackle two matches over the next week in the league before the first international break of the new season arrives.
The first of the two fixtures will see Real Madrid take on Elche before facing local rivals Atletico Madrid away at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano – a game that Jose Mourinho & co. will have circled in red.
Atletico Madrid set to miss a key player
Now, leading up to the Madrileno derby, Atletico Madrid have been dealt a major injury blow.
Key midfielder Pablo Barrios suffered an injury during the Rojiblancos’ UEFA Champions League clash with Liverpool, leaving his participation in next week’s derby against Real Madrid in serious doubt, reports AS.
Pablo Barrios no estará disponible para San Sebastián.
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 12, 2026
El centrocampista acabó con molestias el encuentro ante el Liverpool y, tras las pruebas realizadas por los servicios médicos del club, se ha confirmado que sufre una lesión miofascial de bajo grado en la pierna derecha. pic.twitter.com/XQCWf0LP8j
The news is a blow for Diego Simeone and a boost for Real Madrid with just over a week to go before the contest at the Metropolitano.
Atletico confirmed that Pablo Barrios has suffered a low-grade myofascial injury to his right leg.
The midfielder finished the Champions League meeting with Liverpool at Anfield experiencing discomfort, and subsequent medical tests confirmed the injury.
Barrios will definitely miss Sunday’s La Liga match against Real Sociedad and is also expected to be unavailable for next week’s fixture against Osasuna.
The bigger concern is the derby on 20 September, as Barrios faces a race against time to recover for the visit of Real Madrid.
Atletico have not given a specific recovery timeline, stating only that his return will depend on how the injury develops. At present, however, the indications are not particularly encouraging.
A major blow for Simeone
Barrios’ potential absence would be a significant setback for Simeone. The midfielder has established himself as an important part of Atletico Madrid’s midfield.
Indeed, the 23-year-old Spaniard has started four out of Atleti’s five matches across all competitions in 2026/27 so far, even registering an assist in the process.
As such, his absence could be felt dearly by the Colchoneros in the derby.
Simeone does have alternatives, including Koke, Morten Hjulmand, Johnny Cardoso, Rodrigo Mendoza and Obed Vargas, but replacing Barrios would still be a major challenge for one of the most important fixtures of the season.
