Real Madrid News
Rival watch: RB Leipzig trio set to miss Real Madrid encounter
Real Madrid will be gunning for yet another victory – their eighth of the season in all competitions – when they take on RB Leipzig in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night.
Los Blancos go into the game with three players unavailable as Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez and Eder Militao have been left out of the squad due to injury issues.
Like Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, too, are carrying several fitness problems in their squad and will be without as many as three players for the trip to the Spanish capital.
As reported by MARCA, RB Leipzig will have to make do without Spanish international Dani Olmo, versatile defender Lukas Klostermann and midfield mainstay Konrad Laimer for the clash against Real Madrid.
Among the trio, Olmo’s absence is a major blow for Leipzig given the value he brings to the table with his versatility and attacking nature.
Laimer is also a key piece of this Leipzig setup and is the latest one to pick up an injury. The Austrian international is expected to be sidelined for several weeks after damaging his ankle ligament during Leipzig’s 3-0 win over Borussia Dortmund this past weekend.
With Laimer unavailable, Kevin Kampl and Xaver Schlager could form the midfield double pivot for Die Roten-Bullen on Wednesday night.
And while they will miss the likes of Olmo and Poulsen, there is plenty of threat in the attacking unit with Timo Werner, Christopher Nkunku, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andre Silva.
Yussuf Poulsen, who had been out with a thigh injury, returned to the bench against Dortmund this weekend and will provide more depth in the final third.
Leipzig have not made the best of starts to the new season and have already changed managers, replacing Domenico Tedesco with Marco Rose. They will hope to build on their win against Dortmund and pick up all three points at the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid are looking towards a heavy splurge in the coming summer transfer window. After all, they do not even have another option given the sheer number of player departures already finalized.
Los Blancos have lost the services of Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Mariano Diaz, and Eden Hazard over the past week. While three of the four players predominantly featured on the bench, their presence in the squad gave Carlo Ancelotti’s side much-needed depth and a cushion of sorts.
The forward unit is, thus, the most prioritized department ahead of the transfer window. However, pieces are beginning to fall apart on other fronts and could potentially put the club in a difficult situation.
According to reports from Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus are eyeing Lucas Vazquez and hope to sign him in the coming month. Contacts between the two parties have begun and the transfer fee discussed appears to be around the €6 million to €8 million ballpark given that he has just one year left on his contract.
The player, for his part, is willing to sign for the Italian giants given his relative lack of minutes at the Santiago Bernabeu. At 31 years of age, he understandably does not want to play a second-fiddle role.
Vasquez played part in 23 of Real Madrid’s 38 La Liga games last season, starting only on 12 occasions. Even in his few appearances, he averaged a mere 50 minutes per game.
The veteran completed the season with four goals and an assist to his name. Further, he averaged five defensive actions and a key pass in every game and feels hard done by his limited role.
Vazquez’s departure would place the club in a tricky situation as it would leave Real Madrid with only Dani Carvajal as a natural right-back option. Nacho Fernandez could, in theory, serve as the backup but a new signing for the position cannot be ruled out.
