Ancelotti Announces 2 Extremely Important Absences Against Rayo in the Official Squad

Real Madrid is rushing the procedures and preparation for the LaLiga match against Rayo Vallecano this very afternoon at Santiago Bernabéu. Carlo Ancelotti's pupils have a very complicated match because the leadership of the top national competition is at stake, a position from which they are two points away.

Meanwhile, the Reggiolo coach will want to count on his best players for a key match in the course of the season... without forgetting the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Atlético de Madrid. The visit to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano is still pending, another high-level clash where the permanence in the Champions League is at stake.

According to the competitive pace of the current season, Carlo Ancelotti has already presented the squad list for the match against Rayo Vallecano. The players drafted for the clash at Santiago Bernabéu fit into the planned schemes, with the exception of two absences as striking as they are certainly alarming for the white supporters.

The first of these absences would be more than justified: Antonio Rüdiger. The German center-back has been in the news in recent hours due to a flu process that affected him on the eve of this clash against "La Franja," making him train alone. Considering that next Wednesday the outcome of the Champions League round of 16 will be played, the white technical staff has not wanted to take risks with the Berlin defender.

Unexpected Modifications but with Sense

The second surprise presented by Real Madrid's squad list for the clash against Rayo Vallecano is Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian "1" has not been in the news or attracted attention due to physical problems or a possible injury, but he is ruled out due to overload in the right patellar to avoid problems. This decision will give much to talk about at the same time as the first rumors about the contractual situation of the merengue goalkeeper, whose contract ends in the summer of 2026, are heard.

In his place, Carlo Ancelotti would have chosen Andriy Lunin as the starting goalkeeper against Rayo Vallecano. The Ukrainian "13" seems to have accepted that his greater load of minutes is in the Copa del Rey, although his starts in LaLiga, like in today's match, are welcome.

Again, the absence of Thibaut Courtois from the squad list against "La Franja" would be related to the match against Atlético de Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti wants to have all the starting footballers at their best, especially if they have presented any discomfort or physical problems in recent matches... as is the case with Antonio Rüdiger.

Meanwhile, the Reggiolo coach makes rotations in Real Madrid's goal to test Andriy Lunin. The objective is none other than to give rest to the starting goalkeeper and evaluate the role of the Ukrainian goalkeeper as his possible successor between the posts.