Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid squad list to face Rayo Vallecano
Still undefeated in the league, Real Madrid now face Rayo Vallecano away from home for matchday 13 of La Liga.
Anything short of a win here and Los Blancos would face immense pressure from Barcelona, who are currently top of the league, two points clear of their rivals.
The unfortunate news is, they are arguably without their best player for the game, as Karim Benzema’s injury means he’s still sidelined. Carlo Ancelotti has suggested that he could return in time for the midweek clash against Cadiz, but is not fit enough for this weekend.
The defence is missing Antonio Rudiger after the German picked up a knock in the buildup for the Rayo game. He is expected not to play the Cadiz game either, with his priorities set on the World Cup.
Toni Kroos picked up a red card against Girona and is suspended for this game. He will return for the game against Cadiz, though, especially since he is not participating in the World Cup.
Iker Bravo was expected to receive a call-up for this game in Benzema’s absence, but does not make the cut quite yet. Ancelotti has confirmed, however, that Castilla players could be included soon enough.
📋✅ Our squad for the match 🆚 @RayoVallecano! #RayoRealMadrid pic.twitter.com/SwAvGTsJG4
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 6, 2022
There is no way back for Eden Hazard at Real Madrid. The Belgian international has not given the management any reason to have faith in his abilities over his past four seasons at the club and is unsurprisingly the most important departure for the Merengues in the summer.
Hazard has one more year on his contract in Madrid. However, it is clear that Carlo Ancelotti does not trust him and that any potential replacement manager in the summer will echo his stance.
According to reports from Mundo Deportivo, Fenerbahce are willing to go all out to sign Hazard this summer. The Turkish side have made the former Chelsea their prime target, yet face a steep task ahead of them.
The 32-year-old is hellbent on seeing out his contract with Los Blancos despite seeing his career sink right before his eyes. It thus becomes complicated for the party to lure away the forward, especially in a competition outside Europe’s top five leagues.
Fenerbahce attempted to sign the winger in the recently concluded winter transfer market. They reached an agreement with Real Madrid but failed to get over the line as they could not convince the player of the move.
The biggest obstacle for the Turkish side will be convincing Hazard to make the move by letting go of his lucrative contract in Madrid. The chances are slim, but not impossible.
Hazard has made just three league appearances and one start for Ancelotti’s side this season in La Liga, a steep fall from last season’s 18 and seven respectively.
His last appearance for the team came back in January when Real Madrid faced Cacereno in the Copa del Rey. In La Liga however, he last played in September 2022 in a 4-1 win over Mallorca.
