Possible line-up for Real Madrid in today's match against Leganés

Real Madrid, after dealing with all the controversies caused by their last LaLiga match against Espanyol, faces another commitment in Butarque. This time it is for the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, a match to which the club arrives almost without players in the core of their defense. Something similar would happen with Borja Jiménez's pupils.

The absences of Cissé and Franquesa are significant losses for the 'pepinero' coach, whose situation in the team is starting to be slightly questioned. The surprising defeat against Rayo Vallecano complicates things a lot for the Madrid team, slowly approaching a relegation battle they seemed to have completely forgotten for some time.

The moment both clubs are experiencing is similar. Because Real Madrid left empty-handed from the RCDE Stadium after the last-minute goal by a Carlos Romero more prominent than ever. The left-back was responsible for a brutal tackle from behind on Kylian Mbappé, which Muñiz Ruiz only sanctioned with a yellow card.

Meanwhile, the absences of Antonio Rüdiger and David Alaba add to the absences of players like Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé himself, who will rest due to minor discomforts. The Bondy striker still suffers the consequences of Carlos Romero's kick, a noticeable bruise on the calf of his left leg.

Finalizing the preparation

In this critical situation, Carlo Ancelotti has fulfilled the wish of the executives led by Florentino Pérez: he has turned to La Fábrica to rebuild his squad. The Reggiolo coach has drafted eight of the club's best youth players to complete the list, but there are still some doubts about the role they might play.

Especially analyzing the competitive records of Raúl Asencio. The '35' from the Canary Islands, fully settled in the first team, has been left out of previous starting line-ups because Carlo Ancelotti prefers to place a heavily criticized Aurélien Tchouaméni in that position. It wouldn't be surprising if the French stopper and the Canary Islands center-back formed the duo chosen by the Reggiolo coach for this clash in Butarque.

In any case, Real Madrid desperately needs a victory. Not only to progress in a competition that is still ongoing, but to boost morale ahead of three key matches for the course of the current season. The Madrid classic and the Champions League round of 16 tie against Manchester City are marked in red on the white calendar.

In that sense, Carlo Ancelotti could face Leganés with this starting line-up: Lunin, Lucas Vázquez, Asencio, Tchouaméni, Mendy; Ceballos, Modric, Güler, Brahim; Vinícius, Endrick. The Reggiolo coach's decisions for this match could significantly alter his choices for the upcoming fixtures on the calendar.