Rough times at Real Madrid these days. They are falling behind in La Liga, about to be eliminated (most likely) from the competition they dominate (Champions League) and their unavailable list is piling up. We’ll focus on that last point here, with an emphasis on Ferland Mendy, Andriy Lunin and Edouardo Camavinga.
So let’s hop to it, as kickoff is a little over 48 hours away now, starting with Mendy.
UEFA Champions League Quarterfinals Leg 2/2
Kickoff: Wed. April 16, 8pm, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
Aggregate: Arsenal leads 3-0
Team News: Arsenal Real Madrid
Starting Lineup Predictions Arsenal Real Madrid
Google’s 90 Min Result Probability: Real Madrid 57% Draw 23% Arsenal 20%
Real Madrid Team News
It’s an unspecified muscle injury that has kept Mendy out, and for about close to a month now. It looks seriously doubtful that he’ll be back in the squad for midweek. As for Lunin, the news is much better with him, as he could be in contention. Although it doesn’t really matter though, as Thibaut Courtois will start anyway.
And then finally with Camavinga, he got sent off in the first leg, due to his kicking the ball away in frustration.
And thus the Frenchman is suspended here.
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. 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, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.