We’ve had an El Clasico (preseason version) in Las Vegas and Miami. Now we’ll have one in New York City, but several key Real Madrid players won’t be there. But before we get to that list of absentees, let’s go over the guys who will be returning to the squad. You know what they say about New York, if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, and Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Eder Militao will get their chance to.
The Brazilian trio, who were all on holiday, following the Copa America, are expected to re-join the squad ahead of Saturday night.
El Clasico FYIs
Club Friendly: Real Madrid vs FC Barcelona, Watch: ESPN
Kickoff: Sat Aug. 3, 7:30 ET, Met Life Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, USA
FC Barcelona Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Real Madrid Preview Material: Team News Starting XI Prediction
Buy the book: Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America
Real Madrid Team News
Vinicius and the rest of the triad could feature, at least off the bench, in this one. Two guys who definitely won’t are Kylian Mbappe (still on holiday following his stint with France at the Euros) and Cesar Palacios (suffered an ACL tear in his Madrid debut). Neither player will be present in the big city of dreams.
And it’s a shame to see Madrid, once again, having players suffer torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries again. That was certainly a major theme of last season. There are more big guns who will be absent here: Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy and Federico Valverde.
Sorry, this won’t be a full strength on full strength matchup.
It will still be fun nonetheless.
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.