Yahoo Sports Real Madrid XI vs Athletic Club: Early team news, predicted lineup, latest injuries for LaLiga match
Real Madrid will be without Eden Hazard and Raphael Varane for today’s crucial clash away to Athletic Club in LaLiga.
Los Blancos are in action before title rivals Barcelona and can open up a seven-point lead at the top of the table ahead of the Catalans’ visit to Villarreal in the 34th round of the competition.
Hazard was left out of Thursday’s 1-0 win over Getafe and coach Zinedine Zidane revealed on Saturday that the Belgian will be out for at least three to four days more after taking a heavy knock at Espanyol last weekend.
With the 29-year-old sidelined, Vinicius Junior looks set to start in attack again and the Brazilian could be joined by Marco Asensio after the Spaniard impressed from the bench on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Varane hurt his neck in the game against Getafe and the French defender is not in the squad for the game at San Mames.
The World Cup winner will be replaced in the XI by Eder Militao, while Marcelo looks set to return at left-back in place of Ferland Mendy.
Nacho is also out through injury and surprisingly, there is no place in Zidane’s 23-man squad for midfielder James Rodriguez.
Athletic Club predicted XI: Unai Simon; Capa, Nunez, Martinez, Yuri; Dani Garcia, Vesga; Raul Garcia, Sancet, Cordoba; Williams
Real Madrid predicted XI: Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Ramos, Marcelo; Valverde, Casemiro, Kroos; Asensio, Benzema, Vinicius
