Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti anticipates having several players return from injury ahead of their Champions League opener against German side VfB Stuttgart today.
Midfielders Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni, along with defender Éder Militão, are expected to be available for the match at the Santiago Bernabéu, despite Militão missing training as he needed an extra day to fully recover.
Although Real Madrid will be without midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, and former key players Nacho, Joselu, and the now-retired Toni Kroos, Ancelotti expressed excitement about starting their title defense with ‘the best player in the world,’ Kylian Mbappé.
“Yes, we lost Nacho and Kroos, two of our most important players. And Joselu. In exchange, one of the best players in the world is coming. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so,” Ancelotti told reporters .
“Jude’s return is fantastic news for us. We know what he contributes with and without the ball,” defender Dani Carvajal said. “We demand much more from ourselves and tomorrow is a new opportunity to continue growing.”
All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season and Ancelotti’s side will also be taking part in the expanded men’s 32-team Club World Cup, starting next June in the United States.
Read Also: No room for error against Liverpool in Champions League, says Milan’s Fonseca
Forward Brahim Diaz was the latest player to be sidelined in a slew of injuries and Ancelotti said their gruelling schedule was to blame. “The calendar is too demanding. A new competition is coming and we don’t know how it will turn out,” he added. “It may or may not be more entertaining. The fact is that we have two more games in this competition.”
The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a manager and twice as a player, said the competition holds a place above all else in his heart.
“For me this competition is very special, not only for the club. But it’s not just that, it’s the day-to-day work to get there,” he added.
“The (Champions League) will always be the same even if they change the format a little and (its relation with) Real Madrid, the same. This (year) is going to be another (chance) at history and I hope we can reach the final like last year.”