Kylian Mbappe will line up for Real Madrid against Valencia in La Liga on Saturday.
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Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti will make at least five changes to his team when it hosts Valencia at the Bernabeu on Saturday afternoon in Spain.
Los Blancos come into the fixture off a gruelling 4-4 extra time draw in a Copa del Rey semifinal second leg against Real Sociedad midweek.
Winning 1-0 in the first installment of the fixture granted a 5-4 victory on aggregate, and set up a potentially thrilling final against bitter rival FC Barcelona in Seville on April 26.
Back in the present, however, Ancelotti and his men have to try and cut Barca’s three point advantage at the Spanish top flight summit, ahead of the Catalans taking on Real Betis later on Saturday night, and think about a Tuesday away trip to London to face Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals.
At his prematch press conference on Friday, Ancelotti was reminded that Madrid hasn’t managed to win more than four games in a row in La Liga this term and was asked if it can do that now with nine remaining.
“We have to be optimistic and think that we can do it. We are very close in all competitions and we are confident. Because of what has happened in the past, we can achieve it,” the Italian insisted.
Injuries and having a threadbare squad could of course get in the way of achieving that goal, and though there were doubts that the Ukrainian would make the cut amid Thibaut Courtois being unavailable, Andriy Lunin is expected to start in goal and not La Fabrica academy talent Fran Gonzalez.
Gonzalez’s namesake Fran Garcia begins at left back, though, and is joined by Antonio Rudiger, Raul Asencio and Lucas Vazquez on the rest of the back line.
Aurelien Tchouameni continues in the double pivot, and is partnered by Luka Modric because of Fede Valverde being rested.
A similar logic applies to Jude Bellingham, whose absence gives Arda Guler a rare nod as a CAM.
The Turk is flanked by Brazilian wingers Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo, with Kylian Mbappe the lone striker looking to add to his 33-goal tally.
Real Madrid Starting XI Vs. Valencia: Lunin; Vazquez, Asencio, Rudiger, Fran; Tchouameni, Modric; Rodrygo, Guler, Vinicius, Mbappe
