Manager Alvaro Arbeloa made it clear in the press room that Real Madrid have no intention of experimenting against Girona. It’s true that the best thing for the team is a convincing win, but more importantly, it means not drifting in La Liga. It would be the worst medicine to lose again five days before Bayern Munich’s visit.
Therefore, Madrid will fight to the best of their ability against Girona. First of all, it is important for the manager to assess the options he should take in place of Choameni with the aim of returning to Germany. The former Monaco player is a regular in the midfield and the manager has already confirmed that Camavinga will play against Girona. He won’t be available against Bayern so there’s no reason for him to rest, so he’ll probably play alongside his compatriot.
Arbeloa wanted to make it clear that Camavinga is an option and will play alongside him, despite not starting due to injury and the emergence of Thiago Pitalucci. The former Rennes player has always said that midfield is where he feels most comfortable, although he rarely played there. But he’s not the only option. Güler, Valverde himself and Thiago could play in that position in Munich. Even Jude Bellingham can help in this area.
Therefore, given that Bellingham will also start, the game against Girona will be a good testing ground for Arbeloa to make adjustments if he is to have a chance of making a comeback. As he confessed after the match, one of his biggest concerns is being able to maintain the ball to balance the midfield battle and prevent his team from being at the mercy of the Germans or being at the mercy of counter-attacks, as happened in the first leg at the Bernabeu.
A new challenge for Militao and Mendy
Coach Arbeloa also confirmed that Militao will return to the starting lineup. In the last two games, he played 30 minutes in the second half against Mallorca and a further 28 minutes against Bayern. His inclusion in the starting lineup on Friday is the final step towards a return to the starting lineup, and will give him a bit more playing time ahead of the game at the Allianz Arena.
In Mendy’s case, his presence is even more pronounced. He’s pretty close to his limit. He won’t start, but the idea is that he could get a few minutes before the game against Bayern. This way, he was able to check on his condition and arrive with playing time for Wednesday’s game.
