Heading into the weekend route over Real Sociedad, Kylian Mbappe was cleared to play after having overcome a nagging knee injury, and returning to full training the day before. Mbappe made the matchday squad, but did not feature off the bench. Interim manager Alvaro Arbeloa said that the French galactico will be fully fit to feature at Benfica on Tuesday night.
Speaking of Benfica, they are now led by good old friend to Real Madrid (and many other clubs) Jose Mourinho.
Champions League Play-Off Leg 1 of 2
Real Madrid at Benfica
Kickoff: Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal
Real Madrid 49% Draw 25% Benfica 26%
Real Madrid Team News
Mourinho, now on his second tenure with Benfica, led Madrid from May 31 2010 to June 1 2013. With Madrid, he won the 2010-11 Copa Del Rey, 2011-12 La Liga and the 2012 Supercopa.
Elsewhere Rodrygo entered the weekend battling a muscular injury, and hoping he would pass a late fitness test that would get him into the matchday squad against Real Sociedad.
He did not pass, and was left out of the squad altogether. He will miss out again here against Benfica, but for an entirely different reason. He now has a two match ban for UEFA competition, due to his seeing red last time out.
So he’s suspended here, as is Raul Asencio, who picked up a second yellow booking in the last meeting between these two sides.
Asencio has also been battling an illness.
And then finally, Eder Militao (hamstring) and Jude Bellingham (also a hamstring) remain sidelined as longer-term injury absentees. Bellingham’s return could come sometime around mid-March.
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 USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.