Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed his squad for Thursday's Copa del Rey semi-final first leg with Barcelona at Bernabeu.
Ferland Mendy and David Alaba, as expected, remain on the sidelines for Los Blancos, but there is a huge boost for the reigning Spanish and European champions, as Rodrygo has returned from injury.
The Brazil international was initially expected to miss El Clasico with the gluteus muscle injury that he picked up in the recent Champions League clash with Liverpool.
However, Rodrygo returned to training on Tuesday, and the attacker has now been named in the squad.
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"We are preparing for the match with confidence. We have to play a complete game offensively and defensively and we are looking forward to playing because these are the most beautiful duels," Ancelotti told reporters during his pre-match press conference.
"We are very close to reaching the final and there are many things to enjoy.
"We have evaluated previous games against Barcelona and if we repeat the mistakes of the last game it will affect us but I don't think it will happen again. We are close to winning a competition that is important for us.
"Compared to last year, we have two points less in the league but we are in the cup and last year we weren't and we lost the first leg of the round of 16 and this year we didn't. I'm convinced we're going to win something but I'm not a magician."
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Ancelotti also suggested that both Toni Kroos and Luka Modric are unlikely to be in the starting XI for El Clasico.
"Modric and Kroos might not play. We will see tomorrow. These are games where you need a lot of things. It is possible that because of the energy, Kroos won't be in the game but because of the experience and quality he has an advantage over others. I have to think about it," said the Italian before being asked about a possible start for Eduardo Camavinga.
"Eight months into the season I don't know who the starting 11 are. Every game I have to choose them because I don't know."
Real Madrid will enter the match with Barcelona off the back of a 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby last weekend.
Real Madrid's squad vs. Barcelona
Courtois, Lunin, Lopez; Carvajal, Militao, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Vazquez, Rudiger; Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Mariano, Alvaro
Matt Law
