Jude Bellingham may be the new face of Real Madrid, as he is probably their best overall current player. However, Bellingham is out injured until about March with an ankle problem. We covered that situation in an earlier post here. Brahim Diaz could again deputize for the English international on Sunday at Rayo Vallecano.
Or perhaps not, as Diaz is a major doubt for this weekend, having picked up an injury himself in the UEFA Champions League win over RB Leipzig.
Real Madrid at Rayo Vallecano FYIs
Kick-off: Sunday, Feb 18, 2pm local, Estadio de Vallecas
Madrid Preview Material: Starting XI Prediction Team News
PL Form: Real Madrid WDWWW Rayo Vallecano LLLDL
La Liga Standing: Real Madrid 1st, 61 pts Rayo Vallecano 14th, 24 pts
Result Probability: Real Madrid win 60% Draw 23% Rayo Vallecano win 17%
Real Madrid Team News
Additionally, the injury to Antonio Rudiger is apparently worse than initially thought, as the German set to miss out yet again here. Elsewhere Ferland Mendy is suspended, for having reached his milestone booking.
And of course, you also have the trio of long-term injury absentees: David Alaba, Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao.
And that covers the list of all the players who will not be available for selection by manager Carlo Ancelotti on Sunday.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.