Real Madrid will once again be playing someone out of position at the heart of their defence on Saturday, as they host Girona in a match that could have consequences in the title race. The Catalan side are just two points behind Los Blancos, and will be throwing the best attack in Spain at a makeshift defence.
The latest is that Nacho Fernandez, barring a miracle, will not recover from a muscle strain in time for the match, which has kept him out of training all week, as reported by Diario AS. It’s a problem that he has been dealing with for weeks, and the club are now of the opinion it is now better to rest him for one match and have him back to 100%, rather than forcing the issue. No doubt it does not hurt that Nacho’s form in recent weeks has been their largest concern.
Thus far, Carlo Ancelotti has not had any natural central defenders available to work with in training. Aurelien Tchouameni is due back from suspension, and is expected to feature in defence on Saturday.
Partnering him is likely to be Antonio Rudiger. He exercised alone on the grass on Wednesday, but Real Madrid are positive that he will be fit for Saturday though, as he recovers from a bruised thigh. There is more good news for Real Madrid though too, with Vinicius Junior recovering from his spinal problems. He trained fully on Thursday, and is expected to start on Saturday.
Girona are also going to be without some key pieces, with Yangel Herrera, Daley Blind and manager Michel Sanchez all suspended for the match. Last year they came away with a 1-1 draw from the Santiago Bernabeu, but have been even more aggressive this season, with their games averaging more goals than any other side.
