Ancelotti Anticipates Several Changes to Face Celta, Leaked XI Highlights Some Players

The defeat of Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa has left many repercussions in the Valdebebas offices. Besides the discussion between the white leaders and Ancelotti, the Reggiolo coach himself seems to have taken note of the serious mistakes his team made in that game. The ideal moment for change is the round of 16 clash against Celta de Vigo.

The visit of the Galician team to Santiago Bernabéu stadium will be the perfect backdrop to gauge the opinion of Madrid fans about their coach and the most criticized players. Especially those who might be on the field... because the Italian strategist might have thought about changes for his starting eleven.

The first sign of that modification is the absence of Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian '1' is not drafted for the Copa del Rey game: Andriy Lunin will take charge of defending the Madrid goal. This is reflected in the estimated starting eleven by the newspaper As, which would advance several changes from the Reggiolo coach to his team.

According to the forecasts of this sports newspaper, Ancelotti might have left out three of the most criticized players for the thrashing received against FC Barcelona: Tchouaméni, Rodrygo, and Camavinga. The defensive line, heavily criticized since the beginning of 2025, would be formed by Lucas Vázquez, Raúl Asencio, Antonio Rüdiger, and Fran García.

Renewal in sight?

Despite his appearance in this starting eleven, it should not be forgotten that many Madrid fans also point to Vázquez himself as one of the culprits of the debacle in Jeddah. The same goes for a Ferland Mendy who wouldn't be part of the line-up against Celta de Vigo: it's the perfect opportunity for Fran García to prove himself to his coach.

The midfield configuration, without the two stopper Frenchmen, is planned with a double pivot composed of Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos. Trying to combine a defensive midfielder with another to create play, the attacking midfield line accumulates a lot of talent. Brahim on the right wing, Bellingham as the playmaker, and Vinícius on the left wing.

In the absence of Rodrygo, heavily criticized despite the excellent defensive work he provides according to Carlo Ancelotti himself, the center forward position is assigned to Kylian Mbappé. The merengue '9' has another opportunity to prove he can be a leader in a bad moment... especially now that Vinícius seems to have significantly slowed down.

The failure in the Spanish Supercopa might have considerably influenced, according to the newspaper As, the starting eleven that Ancelotti would consider to face Celta. Despite all these arrangements, the absence of two highly demanded players by both the board and the fans is striking: Arda Güler and Endrick.