Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior are both in the Real Madrid squad for Sunday night’s El Clasico.
The key duo had emerged as doubts for the La Liga contest with Barcelona when they were forced off during Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester City.
Carvajal appeared to be suffering with cramp at the Etihad Stadium, but there were fears that Vinicius had suffered a muscular issue, as he pulled up after a sprint with Kyle Walker.
Both players have been named in the squad, though, and there is also a spot for Ferland Mendy, who was not part of the club’s training session on Saturday.
As a result, there are only two absentees for the division leaders, with Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba remaining on the sidelines due to knee injuries.
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Dani Carvajal, Vinicius Junior both fit for Real Madrid
“The team has been recovering. There are players who need one more day, like Mendy. They will all be in the squad. Mendy was tired and we’ve given him a day’s rest,” Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
Los Blancos will enter El Clasico at the top of the table, eight points ahead of second-placed Barcelona, so a victory would leave them 11 points clear of their rivals with six games left.
“It’s going to be a very competitive opponent, who are doing very well. We are convinced that it will be a classic as always, it will be very hard fought. It’s a great opportunity to get closer to La Liga. Barcelona are a very lively team,” Ancelotti added.
“We are doing well. The cake is ready and all that’s missing is the icing on the cake this month. We’ve arrived well, we’ve got the players back and we need to put the icing on the cake this month.”
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Eder Militao could start against Barcelona
Ancelotti also said that Eder Militao could start against Barcelona, with the Brazilian’s three appearances since returning from a knee injury coming off the bench.
The 26-year-old featured for the final 10 minutes against Man City on Wednesday, and it is understood that Ancelotti wants to have the centre-back in the XI for the Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich.
“Tomorrow he could be a starter. He’s fine, he’s training, he’s only missing minutes. He wants to play and could be an option for tomorrow,” said the head coach.
Aurelien Tchouameni is also back in the Real Madrid squad this weekend, with the France international avaialble after serving a suspension against Pep Guardiola‘s side.
Real Madrid squad vs. Barcelona:
Lunin, Kepa, De Luis; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Vazquez, F Garcia, Rudiger, Mendy; Bellingham, Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Guler; Vinicius, Rodrygo, Joselu, Brahim
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