Real Madrid will be without two of their main stars in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Manchester City.
According to reports from Spain, the Madrid club has admitted that Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham will not be ready for the first leg on Wednesday.
Bellingham has been out for around six weeks with a thigh injury, while Mbappe has missed the last three games in all competitions after aggravating a knee problem that has plagued him all season.
According to AS, both players are close to returning to training, but it has been decided not to risk them for the first leg against City. Instead, Real hope to have them available for the return leg at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on March 17.
Madrid's new coach, Alvaro Arbeloa, has been under criticism for his lackluster start to the season. In 13 matches, he has recorded nine wins and four losses, but has also faced the absence of some of the team's most important players for long periods.
The biggest problems have come in the offensive department. In addition to the absences of Bellingham and Mbappe, Brazilian Rodrygo has also suffered a serious knee injury that could keep him out of the field until 2027.
In the last three games, all without Mbappe, Arbeloa has tried different attacking solutions. He first used a 4-4-2 formation against Benfica, where the duo of Gonzalo García and Vinicius Junior managed to secure the victory. Then, Gonzalo failed to convince as a lone striker in the surprise defeat to Getafe.
In the last match against Celta Vigo, Arbeloa tried Arda Guler as a central striker, but even this solution did not yield the expected results, despite a minimal victory for Real Madrid.
This shows that the Spanish coach has still not found the ideal formula for the team's attack, constantly changing the formation and players in search of a more fluid game, which has been lacking for most of the season.
Facing Manchester City at the Santiago Bernabeu, without a clear offensive plan and without two of their most important players, is expected to be a very difficult challenge for Real Madrid.Telegrafi
