Carlo Ancelotti confirms 7 key Real Madrid players will miss Copa del Rey clash against Cacereno
Carlo Ancelotti, the manager of Real Madrid, has confirmed that seven key players will not be available for the team's upcoming Copa del Rey match against Cacereno. Courtois, Carvajal, Benzema, Kroos, Alaba, Vinicius, and Mendy are the players who will miss out on the clash against the second-division team.
This will bring significant change in the playing XI as all seven players are key team members and have played an essential role in the club's campaign in the La Liga season.
Courtois, the team's goalkeeper, has been in excellent form since his arrival at the Santiago Bernabeau, winning the La Liga and Champions League titles last season.
Carvajal, Benzema, Kroos, and Mendy are all key players in the team's setup, but the Italian manager is planning to use his bench strength to provide rest to key first-team players.
The absence of these players will undoubtedly impact Real Madrid's chances of success in the Copa del Rey, as they will be without some of their most influential players. However, Madrid manager Ancelotti remains confident that his team will be able to rise to the challenge and secure a positive result against Cacereno.
According to reports, Andriy Lunin will start as the goalkeeper for Los Blancos, while Sergio Arribas, Nico Paz, Marvel, and Alvaro Rodríguez have also been called upon by Ancelotti for the match against Cacereno on Tuesday (January 3).
Los Blancos are level on points with Barcelona in the La Liga table after the Blaugrana dropped points against Espanyol on December 31.
"It's not the most important trophy for us" - Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti responds to not winning the Copa del Rey since 2014
Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Spanish football club Real Madrid, recently responded to criticism over the team's failure to win the Copa del Rey since 2014. When asked about the drought, Ancelotti stated:
"It's not the most important trophy for us, but in Real Madrid we have to win every trophy."
Despite not having won the Copa del Rey in over eight years, Real Madrid have still managed to maintain their status as a top European football club. In that time, they have won several Champions League titles and have consistently performed well in La Liga, the top professional league in Spain.
Los Blancos will next face second-division club Cacereno in their Copa del Rey match at Principe Felipe on January 3.