Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face LOSC Lille | UEFA Champions League
Following their 1-1 draw against neighbours Atletico Madrid in the derby last night, Real Madrid swiftly turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League as they get set to take on LOSC Lille on Wednesday night.
Having begun their European title defence with a win over VfB Stuttgart in the opening game of the league phase, Los Blancos will be eager to secure another victory and take a step towards securing a top-eight finish in the standings.
Ahead of the trip to Stade Pierre-Mauroy, manager Carlo Ancelotti has announced the squad list of players who will be flying to France for Wednesday’s match.
The big news is that Thibaut Courtois misses out after injuring his left abductor muscle last night. It forces Ancelotti to call up summer arrival Sergio Mestre as the third goalkeeper behind Andriy Lunin, who will start, and Fran Gonzalez.
Even though he is currently sidelined, Kylian Mbappe has been named on the squad list and will travel to his homeland as Real Madrid take on his brother, Ethan’s team on Wednesday.
In fact, reports in Spain are suggesting that the French superstar may return to training tomorrow and could be able to play some minutes against Lille.
Meanwhile, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Brahim Diaz are also unavailable.
Fran Garcia and Rodrygo, both of whom suffered some discomfort against Atletico last night, are fit and available for selection. Young defender Jacobo Ramon also makes the cut.
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In what will come as a pleasing development for fans, Fabrizio Romano reports that Real Madrid forward Rodrygo could make a comeback from his injury earlier than expected.
The 25-year-old Brazilian international has been out of action since March after suffering an ACL injury during a La Liga game against Getafe.
Due to the complete rupture of the ACL, coupled with associated meniscus damage, it was suggested that the attacker was staring at a lengthy time out on the sidelines and might not return until 2027.
In fact, the forward’s father, Eric Goes, recently stated in an interview that the Real Madrid ace could be back in February next year, just before the business end of the campaign.
Rodrygo could be back in December
However, as per the update from Romano, Rodrygo’s comeback could happen well before that expected date.
Indeed, if things continue to progress at the current rate, the 25-year-old attacker might return to action in December or by January 2027 at the latest.
This will come as a welcome boost for Jose Mourinho & co., considering that Rodrygo is a valuable player for the team.
Even though he had endured a tough spell prior to his form, the Brazilian’s versatility, work rate off the ball, and eye for a goal make him an asset.
Rodrygo eager to be back at his best
The update from Romano further states that Rodrygo feels very grateful to Real Madrid for all the help and support they have given him during this difficult phase of his career.
As such, the Brazilian international has made it a mission to return to action in the best shape possible and make an impact from the get-go.
The attacker has only recently begun working on the pitch with the ball indicating the significant progress he has made on the road to recovery.
And, if there are no setbacks, Real Madrid could recover one of their ace attackers before the end of the current year.
So far in his career, Rodrygo has made 297 appearances for Real Madrid, scoring 71 goals. He has a contract with the club until 2028.
