Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is sweating over the fitness of David Alaba for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final with Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night.
The Austrian defender was withdrawn with an adductor issue at half time in the first leg and subsequently missed the 4-0 La Liga title-clinching win over Espanyol at the weekend alongside Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic and Gareth Bale.
Alaba may only make the bench here as Real attempt to overturn a 4-3 deficit, and Ancelotti will also be boosted by the returns of Nacho and Eder Militao from domestic suspensions, with the latter expected to come straight back into the first XI. However, Isco is absent due to illness.
Casemiro filled in as a makeshift centre-back at the weekend but should now return to his familiar midfield role, as Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy displace Lucas Vazquez and Marcelo in the wide areas.
Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are once again primed to feature in the middle, where the absence of Casemiro was well and truly felt at the Etihad Stadium.
Ancelotti has another big call to make on the right-hand side of the attack but may ultimately stick with Rodrygo following the Brazilian's brace against Espanyol.
Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior will be two of the first names on the teamsheet after their goalscoring exploits in Manchester, with the former now closing in on Cristiano Ronaldo's record of 10 Champions League knockout goals in one season.
Real Madrid possible starting lineup: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Nacho, Mendy; Kroos, Casemiro, Modric; Rodrygo, Benzema, Vinicius Jr
> Click here to see how Man City could line up for the second leg
Ben Knapton
