How Real Madrid could line up against RB Leipzig

Real Madrid must work around the absence of Jude Bellingham ahead of Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg with RB Leipzig at the Red Bull Arena.

The 20-year-old notched a brace in Saturday's 4-0 La Liga thrashing of Girona before sustaining an ankle injury, which forced him to exit the Bernabeu field just before the hour mark.

Carlo Ancelotti confirmed after the contest that Bellingham had suffered a sprain of an unknown severity, and the Englishman is now confirmed to be missing the remainder of the month.

Los Blancos are also without their trio of ACL victims in David Alaba, Eder Militao and Thibaut Courtois, while Antonio Rudiger will not be back from a thigh problem either, but Ancelotti is expecting Nacho Fernandez to play after a muscular concern.

With all of Alaba, Nacho, Militao and Alaba absent against Girona, Ancelotti had no choice but to deploy Aurelien Tchouameni and Dani Carvajal as a makeshift central pairing, but Nacho will surely be recalled to the XI right away.

Carvajal could take Lucas Vazquez's place on the right in that instance, as Tchouameni continues as an emergency centre-back in front of Andriy Lunin, who has been given the nod in eight of Real's last 10 La Liga matches over Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Ferland Mendy is also bidding to consign his injury woes to the past on the left, and with Luka Modric still playing a peripheral role this term, Toni Kroos, Federico Valverde and Eduardo Camavinga should line up as the midfield trio.

Brahim Diaz should pull the creative strings in the number 10 slot in Bellingham's absence, as Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo - both on target at the weekend - continue in tandem up top.

Real Madrid possible starting lineup: Lunin; Carvajal, Tchouameni, Nacho, Mendy; Valverde, Kroos, Camavinga; Diaz; Vinicius Jr, Rodrygo