Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Real Madrid, Arsenal, Champions League, Football, Mikel Arteta, Carlo Ancelotti
Ben McCrum
Topics: Real Madrid, Arsenal, Champions League, Football, Mikel Arteta, Carlo Ancelotti
Real Madrid could be without as many as six players ahead of their massive Champions League match with Arsenal.
On Tuesday night, Real Madrid travel to London to face Arsenal in the first leg of their thrilling Champions League quarter final clash.
Heading into the match, Los Blancos are slight underdogs, despite being the reigning Champions after beating Borussia Dortmund in the final last season.
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And now, Real Madrid have been dealt a massive blow as it has been reported that the Spanish giants could be without as many as SIX players for the second leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
As it always the case in the first leg of a tie as important to a club's season as a Champions League quarterfinal, it is expected that tonight's match in London will be a cagey affair.
But several players in Carlo Ancelotti's side will have to be careful to avoid receiving a booking in the match, as doing so would see them handed a suspension by UEFA for the second leg.
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Key players like Vinicius jr, Antonio Rudiger, Eduardo Camavinga are all just one yellow card away from being suspended for a match, with Luke Modric Lucas Vazquez, and Endrick also at risk.
Even Ancelotti himself could miss the game at the Bernabeu should be be cautioned by referee Irfan Peljto during the match.
For the first leg in London, Madrid will have to do without Aurelien Tchouameni, who is serving a one match suspension after the Frenchman received a yellow card, his third in the competition, during the penalty shootout win over Atletico Madrid last month.
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When asked of Tuesday's match with Real Madrid was the biggest game of his managerial career, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said: "100 per cent.
"It's a joy to prepare the game, to look at the reaction of people, and how we feel about ourselves coming into a game of this magnitude and the excitement around the club.
"This is proper now, the last stages of the competition. This is where we want to be and where Arsenal have to be consistently. We are very proud to be there and we're very ready to deliver tomorrow."