Real Madrid missing five players for RB Leipzig clash

Thibaut Courtois and Eder Militao are on course to play before the end of the campaign, but the pair, who both suffered ACL injuries in August, remain unavailable for selection for the moment.

David Alaba, meanwhile, is out until next season with the ACL injury that he suffered towards the end of last year.

Head coach Carlo Ancelotti also revealed on Saturday that Antonio Rudiger would not feature in the European match, with the Germany international struggling to overcome the thigh problem he suffered against Getafe earlier this month.

Ruidger will be absent for at least one more match, but there is positive news on injury front from a defensive point of view, with Nacho available after missing the 4-0 win over Girona on Saturday due to a muscular issue.

"It was the knock he got against Getafe. It bruised up and caused a bit of a tear. He tried his best yesterday but he was struggling in the change of direction," Ancelotti told reporters after the clash with Girona.

"He won't play on Tuesday but we've got Nacho back. I hope he'll be available again soon."

Real Madrid will also be missing Jude Bellingham due to the ankle injury which the midfielder suffered after scoring a brace against Girona.

Los Blancos have not put a timeframe on Bellingham's absence, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has claimed that the midfielder will be missing for at least the next two to three weeks.

Jacobo Ramon and Alvaro Carrillo benefit from the defensive absentees to be named in the squad, while there are also spots for Mario Martin and Nico Paz in midfield.

"We're pleased to be going back into the Champions League with a lead in La Liga despite the difficulties we've had so far with injuries," Ancelotti told reporters on Saturday.

"We're really excited and we're up against opposition who we must be very careful of. We have to prepare every game like we did today."

Real Madrid are 14-time winners of the Champions League, with their last success in the competition coming in 2022, when they recorded a 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the final.

Real Madrid squad vs. RB Leipzig:

Lunin, Kepa, Fran; Carvajal, Nacho, Vazquez, F Garcia, Mendy, Carrillo, Ramon; Kroos, Modric, Camavinga, Valverde, Tchouameni, Ceballos, Guler, Martin, Paz; Vinicius, Rodrygo, Joselu, Brahim