Real Madrid are set to take on AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League without one of the key attacking threats, a player who has made a resurgence over the past weeks: Rodrygo Goes.
The Brazilian attacker was left out of Álvaro Arbeloa’s squad for the seventh Champions League matchday despite participating in team training the day of the announcement.
Details regarding the issue he is suffering is scarce, but clearly the manager and medical staff do not feel confident in him playing minutes before the weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão, and Ferland Mendy are all also out, as is Antonio Rudiger, as defensive pressures mount on an already wobbly structure that Arbeloa appears yet to have solved. Álvaro Carreras is also out, suspended due to yellow card accumulation.
“Were I in the stadium, I would whistle”
A loss in his opening game to second tier Albacete in the Copa del Rey was followed by a win over Levante in LaLiga; in the latter fixture, fans made their feelings heard towards the squad, whistling several players heavily throughout the game.
“I understand the fans. Before I was a footballer, I was a young lad, and when I wasn’t happy I spoke badly about the players and, were I in the stadium, I would whistle," Kylian Mbappé said in the pregame press conference.
“What I didn’t like was that if there are whistles, they should be aimed at the whole squad. A single player should not be singled out,” he added. “We are doing things badly as a team and we have the personality to change this on the pitch. I don’t see Madridismo being against us. They are angry and I’m sure they will come back to support us.”
Arda Güler started on the bench against Levante and his introduction to the game was the turning point for Real Madrid; this season, breaking down low blocks has been the main obstacle for Los Blancos, and having a player like Güler seems like a no-brainer this time around as Arbeloa looks to conquer Europe. He is expected to play a significant role against Monaco.
Real Madrid host AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League today, Tuesday 20 January at 3pm ET. The home side sit 7th ahead of the game on 12 points while their opponents languish in 19th on 9 points.