Real Madrid has announced its squad for the La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano this Saturday at Vallecas Stadium (21:00 CET, -1 GMT). The return of Eduardo Camavinga highlights the lineup after the French midfielder recovered from the muscle injury to his left biceps femoris sustained against Liverpool on November 27. However, the team will be without star forward Kylian Mbappe, who continues to recover from a left thigh injury.
Mbappe suffered his injury during the Champions League game against Atalanta on Tuesday and will travel to Doha, Qatar, to prepare for the Intercontinental Cup. His availability for future matches depends on the day-to-day progression of his recovery. In addition to Mbappe, Real Madrid will also miss four defenders: Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao, both sidelined for the season due to cruciate knee ligament injuries; David Alaba, recovering from a serious knee injury sustained on December 17; and Ferland Mendy, expected to return in early 2025.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti has called up Castilla players Youssef Enriquez ‘Yusi’ and Lorenzo Aguado to strengthen the defensive line, while Victor Munoz joins the attacking options. Yusi was previously included in the Champions League squad against Atalanta, and Aguado provides additional depth at right-back.
The full squad for the match is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Andriy Lunin, Sergio Mestre.
Defenders: Lucas Vazquez, Jesus Vallejo, Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio, Fran Garcia, Youssef Enriquez ‘Yusi’, Lorenzo Aguado.
Midfielders: Aurelien Tchouameni, Fede Valverde, Luka Modric, Dani Ceballos, Jude Bellingham, Arda Guler.
Forwards: Rodrygo, Vinicius Jr., Endrick, Brahim Diaz, Victor Munoz.
Real Madrid enters Matchday 17 aiming to maintain their position in the title race despite a challenging lineup of injuries. The return of Camavinga adds strength to their midfield as they face a Rayo Vallecano side that recently demonstrated resilience with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Los Blancos.
