February 07, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid’s squad for their Club World Cup semi-final match against Al Ahly has been confirmed with two glaring absences.
The team sheet shows that manager Carlo Ancelotti is having to deal with the absence of a pair of key players. Goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois and striker, Karim Benzema, are among those who will not be making the trip to Rabat, Morocco, due to injury.
If Real Madrid emerges victorious, they will face either Flamengo or Al Hilal in the final. However, they will not be at maximum strength, as Courtois is struggling with a groin strain and Benzema, with a leg injury. Andrey Lunin is expected to fill in as goalkeeper, while Mariano Diaz may receive some minutes as a striker.
The Club World Cup was postponed to February due to the winter World Cup in Qatar, and Real Madrid has had a rough start to the competition, trailing Barcelona by eight points in La Liga following a 1-0 loss to Mallorca.
They will also resume their Champions League campaign in two weeks, facing Liverpool in a two-legged round-of-16 clash.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
