Ancelotti's Double Decision after Tchouaméni's Absence and Vinícius's Suspension

There's just over an hour left for Real Madrid to face Las Palmas at Santiago Bernabéu stadium, a key game for the league standings. Barcelona's draw, as well as Atlético de Madrid's defeat against Leganés, make the top spot very accessible for Carlo Ancelotti's team.

The Reggiolo coach has already announced the starting eleven that will try to defeat the island team at the white coliseum, a line-up that features several last-minute changes. The most notable is, without a doubt, the absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni.

The French stopper was dropped from the team for the game against Las Palmas an hour before the Italian revealed his line-up for the day. To replace the French '14', two academy players, Jacobo Ortega and Chema, will take positions on the local Madrid bench. This unexpected and untimely injury comes after his challenging game against Celta de Vigo, where he received many boos from the white fans due to his recent performances.

He's not the only one absent from Ancelotti's usual starting eleven. Due to his direct red card expulsion, Vinícius won't be able to join his teammates in the changing room for the next two games. Aware of this situation, the Reggiolo coach has improvised a high-level solution that focuses on players who are usually substitutes.

All set

No surprises in the goal, because this LaLiga match against Las Palmas will have Thibaut Courtois between the posts. Accompanying the Belgian goalkeeper in defense will be Lucas Vázquez, Raúl Asencio, Antonio Rüdiger, and Fran García. Finally, Davide Ancelotti has managed to convince his father that the best strategy right now would be to give continuity to the Castilian-Manchego '20' over one of his favorites, Ferland Mendy.

The midfield, without defensive players, is set up with a double pivot composed of Fede Valverde and Dani Ceballos. Positioning the '8' as a box-to-box midfielder, the '19' will stay between the center-backs to try to create play and facilitate ball movement from the defense. In the attacking midfield, near the opponent's area, will be Bellingham.

The three-forward line consists of Brahim Díaz on the right wing, Rodrygo Goes on the left side, and Kylian Mbappé as the center forward. This setup could change during the game. With the Brazilian '11' and the French '9' swapping positions to improve Madrid's attack as the opponent's defensive phases progress.

Given the circumstances, this turns out to be the best available starting eleven for Carlo Ancelotti at this point in the season. Real Madrid will try to overcome the resistance of the Canary team, which seeks to establish itself in the mid-table of LaLiga with a very competitive starting eleven. Courtois; Lucas Vázquez, Raúl Asencio, Rüdiger, Fran García; Fede Valverde, Ceballos, Bellingham; Brahim, Rodrygo, Mbappé.