Real Madrid’s squad for Friday’s La Liga clash against Real Sociedad was replaced at the last minute as part of a wonderful event.
Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo missed training on Thursday morning, but coach Carlo Ancelotti showed in a pre-match press conference that both will travel to Anoeta, while Ferland Mendy will remain in the Spanish capital with his sights set on next week’s Champions League semi-final clash. at Bayern Munich.
The publication of the team’s list shortly after Ancelotti finished speaking to the media revealed that the Italian’s statements on the matter would possibly not have been accurate, as Bellingham’s call was missing from the document uploaded to the club’s official social media accounts.
Rodrygo was there for all to see, leading to theories that Bellingham might still be suffering from gastroenteritis. However, on Friday morning, about 10 hours before kick-off, the squad list changed.
This time, Bellingham is now included while Rodrygo, who battles the flu according to MARCA, has been eliminated.
While the Brazilian may not be back in action until Tuesday, when Madrid travel to Bavaria to face Bayern at the Allianz Arena, the Englishman, Ancelotti’s top scorer this season, has a reserved seat on the plane to San Sebastian.
While Madrid are 11-point clear at the top of the table with six games to play, a win against La Real could allow Los Blancos to move closer to the La Liga title and relieve bitter rivals FC Barcelona of some other domestic crown after that. doing the same with the Spanish Super Cup in January.
“We are seven things away from mathematically having the championship,” Ancelotti said on Thursday, while predicting a “difficult match” in the Basque Country and wishing his men to “fight and fight” until mathematically it is no longer imaginable for players like Barça. to occupy the most sensible place.
With Bellingham coming off an illness, it’s unclear if he’ll start tonight or if his expected replacement in the past, Brahim Diaz, will still get the green light in place.