Real Madrid missing only one player for Real Valladolid contest

Real Madrid are only missing one player for Friday's La Liga contest against Real Valladolid, with Mariano Diaz ruled out of the match for the reigning Spanish and European champions.

Mariano is absent due to an ankle problem that he picked up in training, but head coach Carlo Ancelotti has otherwise been able to select a strong squad for the team's final match of the year.

There had been some doubt over the availability of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga, with the duo representing France in the 2022 World Cup final.

The pair have therefore had minimum preparation time for this match, while Luka Modric was in action for Croatia in the semi-finals of the competition.

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Tchouameni, Camavinga and Modric were all expected to be left out of the squad, but the trio have been included, as Real Madrid look to return to the top of the La Liga table.

All three players are expected to start on the bench, though, which could open the door for Dani Ceballos to start alongside Toni Kroos and Federico Valverde in midfield.

Karim Benzema was sent home from the World Cup due to injury, but the striker is fit to start for Real Madrid on Friday night and is expected to lead the line.

Meanwhile, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, who represented Brazil at the World Cup, are also expected to feature in the final third of the field for Los Blancos.

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"We're excited to be back. We've been training well. Those who just returned are available, but I'll probably prioritise the ones who have been here and training for longer," Ancelotti told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

"The only player definitely out is Mariano, who has an injury. We have a demanding fixture list coming up, with the Super Cup and the Club World Cup too.

"We'll have to play a lot of games, but we'll evaluate each player individually during this period. Some players will need more rest than others."

Real Madrid would move to the top of the table with a victory on Friday night, as current leaders Barcelona are not in action until Saturday against Catalan rivals Espanyol.

Real Madrid squad vs. Real Valladolid:

Courtois, Lunin, Lopez; Carvajal, Militao, Alaba, Vallejo, Nacho, Odriozola, Vazquez, Rudiger, Mendy; Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos; Hazard, Benzema, Asensio, Vinicius, Rodrygo