The big return
The return of Ferland Mendy after almost two months out will be next Wednesday in the second leg of the Champions League quarter finals. “He has returned to work, he will train with the group on Sunday and will be against Liverpool”, announced Carlo Ancelotti in his appearance before the media this Friday in Valdebebas. Mendy does not arrive on time, therefore, for this league match against Espanyol tomorrow, Saturday (2:00 p.m.).
His long-awaited inclusion in the squad against Liverpool will mean the end of a prolonged absence, since January 26 after the Cup derby, in which Mendy has not been able to help the team in eleven games between the League, Champions, Cup and World Cup. clubs . The one from Espanyol will be the twelfth consecutive one that is lost. A loss that Ancelotti has been weathering with Alaba (until his injury), Nacho and especially Camavinga. Of course, everything indicates that with the return of Mendy, Camavinga will recover his role as an interior player. Not three or anchor, interior. “I have already said it on many occasions, for me it is inside, playing on the wing is an emergency,” the transalpine coach insisted this Friday.
Shortly after, Carlo Ancelotti provided the list of players called up for the match with Espanyol and, as expected, neither Benzema, Mendy nor Alaba were present. They are the three Real Madrid casualties. On the list was again, as usual, the youth squad Álvaro Rodríguez. The Balearic Obrador, although he exercised this Friday with the first team, did not enter the call.