Five Real Madrid players are just one yellow card away from missing the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atlético Madrid.
A Madrid derby is on the cards for the Champions League round of 16. Real Madrid eliminated Manchester City 6–3 on aggregate in the knockout phase playoffs and now must face their La Liga rivals in the next round of the competition.
Like so many times this season, Carlo Ancelotti will not have his full squad available for the upcoming clash. The biggest name missing the first leg of the tie is Jude Bellingham, who is suspended due to yellow card accumulation in the Champions League. The midfielder will return in the second leg, but there could be five other players forced to sit out of the deciding match if they receive a yellow card on Tuesday night.
JOIN SI SOCCER'S REAL MADRID WHATSAPP COMMUNITY - GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE
The Five Real Madrid Players That Need to Avoid a Yellow Card Against Atletico Madrid
The following Real Madrid players will miss the second leg against Atlético Madrid if they receive a yellow card at the Santiago Bernabéu:
- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- Antonio Rüdiger
- Eduardo Camavinga
- Luka Modrić
- Endrick
It is no secret Real Madrid are thin at center back, and a yellow card to Aurélien Tchouaméni and/or Antonio Rüdiger on Tuesday night would be a huge blow to the defending European champions. The Germany international is Real Madrid's best defender and Tchouaméni is the only backup Ancelotti has that can play a full 90 minutes.
David Alaba is available, but he is still not back to full match fitness after his long spell on the sidelines with an ACL injury. Should both Rüdiger and Tchouaméni get suspended, Alaba would have to start alongside 21-year-old Raúl Asencio for the first time this season.
Losing Tchouaméni would also leave a hole in the midfield, especially if Eduardo Camavinga enters the referee's book as well. With Fede Valverde likely playing right back and Dani Ceballos injured, Real Madrid could go into the second leg without four of their midfielders available to start in the middle of the park.
Endrick and Luka Modrić will likely only log a handful of minutes (if any) in the first leg against Atlético Madrid, so they should have no trouble avoiding suspension.
READ THE LATEST UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Five Real Madrid Players That Need to Avoid a Yellow Card Against Atletico Madrid.
