Real Madrid could see the return of no fewer than five injured players in time for January’s Spanish Supercopa.
Injuries have been a massive problem for Carlo Ancelotti’s side this season. The boss recently admitted he could not believe his luck as he lost a third key starter, David Alaba, to an ACL injury, while smaller fitness issues have kept other stars sidelined for a number of weeks.
Now enjoying their winter break, Madrid are back in action on January 3 against Mallorca and Marca expect both right-back Dani Carvajal and winger Vinicius Junior to be available to Ancelotti for that game.
Carvajal has missed the last three games with a muscular injury, while Vinicius suffered a nasty thigh injury in November which was initially expected to keep him sidelined until February. The Brazilian has impressed Madrid’s medical staff and is likely to come off the bench against Mallorca.
Looking further forward, Ancelotti is hopeful of welcoming Eduardo Camavinga, Ferland Mendy and Arda Guler back in time for the Supercopa.
Madrid begin their Supercopa challenge with a semi-final clash with Atletico Madrid on January 10, after which they would face either Barcelona or Osasuna in the final.
Camavinga, Mendy and Guler are all expected to fly to Riyadh to be part of the squad and it is hoped that all three will be available for selection.
Camavinga has been out since November with a knee injury, whereas Mendy missed the last game of 2023 after picking up a muscle problem.
Guler, however, is still waiting for his first outing for Madrid. The Turkish teenager required knee surgery shortly after his summer transfer and encountered a few setbacks which further delayed his debut.
The 18-year-old has featured on Madrid’s bench twice this season but could finally make his debut in the Supercopa.
