Real Madrid Predicted XI vs Villarreal: Luka Jovic to Start?

A changed starting eleven expected for Real Madrid after returning from the International Break.

In a season where players are barely getting any time to rest, things only continue to get worse as the Real Madrid players have returned from International Break and now prepare themselves for two tricky matches during the week as they take on Villarreal on Saturday before hosting Inter Milan on Wednesday night.

The team has had a few Covid-19 scares throughout the past week with players such as Martin Odegaard, Vinicius Junior, Raphael Varane and others all at risk of getting the virus but overall it seems as though all players will be ready to play aside from those who are recovering from injuries, with the latest addition to that list being Federico Valverde.

Goalkeeper

Another match means another chance for Thibaut Courtois to continue showing why he deserves his place as Real Madrid’s starting goalkeeper. The Belgian has had to deal with very shaky defending particularly in recent weeks but hopefully we can see this improve. A good defense with a very solid goalkeeper will make things a lot easier going forward.

Defenders

The good news that came out during the week was that Dani Carvajal has returned to training as well as Nacho Fernandez and Alvaro Odriozola. However, it may be too soon to start any of them so we will probably see Lucas Vazquez take the right-back position on the night but that is something that shouldn’t last too much longer. In the center, Raphael Varane returns after a solid international break and knows that he has a lot to improve on after a poor couple weeks.

He will be partnered with Eder Militao after Sergio Ramos was confirmed to be injured. The Varane/Militao partnership hasn’t been very strong in recent games and they will need to find a way to work off each other and improve as soon as possible. On the left, Ferland Mendy should return to the starting lineup once again.

Midfielders

Things could have been extremely tricky for the team when it came to the midfield but the return of Carlos Casemiro has definitely made everyone breathe a sigh of relief. The Brazilian has tested negative for the Coronavirus and rejoins the team after resting for the past couple weeks. In front of him, we could see Zidane give Martin Odegaard a chance to start after the player returned from injury while Toni Kroos is possibly the third midfielder. Luka Modric could be rested for the match against Inter Milan in midweek.

Forwards

This seems like one of the games where Rodrygo Goes should be picked to start ahead of Marco Asensio, who will probably be Zidane’s first choice on the right flank on Wednesday. On the other side, the return of Eden Hazard is always welcome news and he tested negative for Coronavirus and spent the international break recovering from the illness. Up front, it still remains a little unclear if Karim Benzema is ready to start but either way, giving Luka Jovic a chance after an extremely impressive break with Serbia could do wonders for the player and the team.

Full Predicted Lineup

Thibaut Courtois, Lucas Vazquez, Raphael Varane, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Carlos Casemiro, Martin Odegaard, Toni Kroos, Rodrygo Goes, Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic