Ferland Mendy returns for Real Madrid against Chelsea ahead of second leg UEFA Champions League fixture
According to the Evening Standard, Real Madrid ace Ferland Mendy will make it to the match-day squad for the fixture against Chelsea despite having to sit out their last game against Getafe CF due to a muscle issue. The French defender is set to retain his place in the return leg of the quarter-final fixture at Santiago Bernabeu.
The Spanish club are currently riding high as they sit at the top of the table in La Liga. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have a healthy 1-3 lead after the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against the Blues. Karim Benzema put forth another masterclass as he slotted three past Edouard Mendy.
The West Londoners did manage to get on the scoresheet via a Kai Havertz header but struggled to convert their bulk of positions and opportunities into goals. Romelu Lukaku, who came on as a late substitute, also missed two great opportunities to bag himself a goal on the night.
The club from Madrid has now received another boost after there were some questions regarding his availability during their last La Liga game. This would be a great respite for them considering that Eder Militao will miss the clash against the Blues at Santiago Bernabeu due to suspension.
Will Ferland Mendy play against Chelsea?
Having to bring in two backup options for such a crutch game could have possibly caused some nerves for Los Blancos. It remains to be seen if Mendy will be fit enough to make the starting XI. Ideally, players returning from injuries are eased into the starting XI rather than being thrown into the action straight away.
And that too for a high-intensity, all-important UCL decider against the Blues. That being said, we cannot rule out the possibility of starting the game. The stage is all set for an entertaining matchup, as Chelsea will have to come out all guns blazing if they are to proceed to the next round in the UCL.
Luka Jovic, Isco, and Chelsea legend Eden Hazard will not feature due to their respective injuries. But the attacking duo of Benzema and Vinicius Jr would be enough to strike fear into our hearts. Jesus Vallejo, meanwhile, also misses out due to testing positive for Covid-19.
The Stamford Bridge outfit will be looking to take some inspiration from their recent 0-6 rout against Southampton in the Premier League. Both Havertz and Timo Werner got on the scoresheet, and Thomas Tuchel would be hoping that his players can carry that same form in the match vs Real Madrid. Online sportsbook Betway certainly believe so, with them boosting the odds for Kai Havertz to score anytime and Chelsea to win from 17/4 to 5/1.
Overturning a two-goal deficit against the Spanish Giants certainly won’t be an easy task. Despite that, the Blues have shown in the past that on their best days, they can breeze past clubs without any issue. The London-based clubs would require all of their players to bring on their A-game if they are to make it an exciting matchup.
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While it may be easier said than done, with the kind of attacking options that we possess, there is no reason why we cannot make it a tough game for the La Liga champions. Hopefully, we have one of those memorable nights in Europe once again. This fixture would certainly go into club folklore if we do manage to trump Madrid to get into the Semis of the UCL.