Real Madrid News
Official: Real Madrid starting lineup against Elche
Real Madrid will hope to cut the deficit from Barcelona to eight points at the top of the table as they host Elche at the Santiago Bernabeu tonight. Carlo Ancelotti has made some changes from the starting lineup that took on Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup final.
Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out due to injury, giving way to Andriy Lunin to make another start in the league. He will be guarded by Eder Militao and David Alaba in central defence, with Antonio Rudiger delegated to the bench.
Daniel Carvajal and Nacho have the responsibility to provide width from the back.
Toni Kroos will miss the game due to health problems, while Luka Modric has been rested. As such, Dani Ceballos starts in central midfield alongside Federico Valverde. Eduardo Camavinga gets a start in his natural position in defensive midfield.
Ancelotti has opted to use Marco Asensio as the right-winger, while Rodrygo starts on the left in the absence of the suspended Vinicius Jr. Captain Karim Benzema retains his place as the striker.
📋✅ Our starting XI 🆚 @Elchecf_en! #RealMadridElche pic.twitter.com/FfYmWRd4Dx
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) February 15, 2023
Confirmed Madrid XI: Lunin; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Nacho; Valverde, Camavinga, Ceballos; Asensio, Benzema, Rodrygo
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.
