Madrid: Real Madrid returned to Spain after their hard-fought 2-1 win over Sporting Braga late on Tuesday night to start preparations for their visit to FC Barcelona on Saturday in the first ‘Clasico’ of the season.
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti looked to shrug off the worry of Jude Bellingham’s injury at a press conference after the England international had left the pitch during the Braga game.
Ancelotti insisted the “Clasico isn’t in danger for Bellingham,” explaining that he had a slight strain, due to the fact the pitch in Braga “was a bit heavy” after continued rainfall.
The coach added he was “clear” about the side he would use in Barcelona.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez has no such luxuries for two main reasons: his side don’t play Shakhtar Donetsk until Wednesday night, and he is missing several key players.
The timing of Barca’s game on Wednesday makes it a strange decision of La Liga to program the Clasico for Saturday, rather than Sunday. With just 66 hours between the end of Wednesday’s game and kick off on Saturday, the scheduling puts Barca at a clear disadvantage.
However, the injuries are a greater concern for Xavi, with Robert Lewandowski, Frenkie de Jong, Sergi Roberto, Raphinha, Pedri and Jules Kounde all on the sidelines.
The six players all miss Wednesday’s game, but there is a chance that Lewandowski and Raphinha could recover to play some part in Saturday’s game. Lewandowski is putting the finishing touches to his recovery from an ankle injury, while Raphinha is getting over a problem with his hamstring.
Last weekend, Xavi was forced to start B-team player Ferran Lopez against Athletic Club Bilbao, while 17-year-old Marc Guiu came on to score the only goal of the game.
Barca fans won’t have forgotten that Ferran scored in a pre-season friendly between Barca and Madrid in the United States, but there is a big difference between a friendly and a La Liga duel.
–IANS