On the eve of the derby, the main talking point around Real Madrid was whether Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior would be fully fit for the pivotal game against crosstown rivals Atletico Madrid away at Metropolitano Stadium. All the doubts are cleared now and there is a lot of good news for Los Blancos.
Real Madrid have announced their squad for the game. And both Bellingham and Vinicius have been included in it.
Vinicius Junior suffered a hamstring injury during Real Madrid’s game against Celta Vigo and has not stepped foot on the pitch since then. He trained with the team recently though and is now back in the squad.
On the other hand, Bellingham had to withdraw from training recently due to a stomach issue. It was a concerning situation for sure as the Englishman has been the main man for Real Madrid since arriving in the summer. Fortunately, the problem seems to have been cleared now as well.
Real Madrid confirm major boost for derby vs Atletico
As reported by ESPN, Carlo Ancelotti said in his pre-match conference about the situation of Vinicius:
"“The injury is forgotten.“He’ll be in the squad. Tomorrow we’ll see what role he plays in the game.”"
Vinicius was initially expected to miss the derby. When asked about the risks of calling the 23-year-old superstar back for this game, Ancelotti said:
"“The risk is zero.“If we think there’s a 1% risk tomorrow we won’t take it. The important thing is Vinicius has recovered. He lacks a bit of conditioning but that’s normal.”"
Ancelotti also cleared the shadow of doubt about the Englishman’s situation. The Italian said:
"“It was a small thing.“He felt ill but he’s recovered.”"
Real Madrid will definitely feel some comfort after their injury woes at the beginning of the season as players like Ferland Mendy, Dani Ceballos and Vinicius are now all back in the squad. Arda Guler is close to a return to action as well.
This should give them some positive momentum before travelling to the Metropolitano Stadium to take on Atletico Madrid. Hopefully, they will keep their winning run going although this is by far the toughest test they have faced this season till now.