FOLLOW ALL THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ACTION ON TUESDAY, NOV 7 5 WITH THE LIVE BLOG OF SI FOOTBALL

Just nine days after an embarrassing defeat to Barcelona in El Clasico, Real Madrid return to Champions League action against AC Milan.

Nothing has gone right for Real Madrid in the past two weeks. Spain’s defending champions conceded four goals at home to Barcelona on October 26, giving their biggest rivals an even bigger lead in the La Liga table. Subsequently, Vinícius Júnior controversially lost the 2024 Ballon d’Or to Rodri on October 28.

With so much disappointment surrounding the club heading into October, Los Blancos must now turn their attention to the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti’s former club is on its way to Madrid, where it aims to inflict its second home defeat in as many games on Real Madrid.

The good news for the hosts is that Rodrygo has been included in the Real Madrid squad. The Brazilian suffered a thigh injury during the team’s 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on October 22, but recovered quickly enough to potentially feature in Tuesday’s match. Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba and Dani Carvajal are still on the sidelines due to various injuries.

This is what Real Madrid’s team could look like against Paulo Fonseca’s men on Tuesday, November 5.

JOIN SI SOCCER’S REAL MADRID WHATSAPP COMMUNITY – GET ALL THE LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE

GK: Andriy LuninWith Courtois still sidelined, Lunin is up for his fourth start of the season.

RB: Lucas Vazquez—The Spaniard has yet to deliver a decisive performance on the right flank in Carvajal’s absence. Vázquez has struggled immensely in defense in Real Madrid’s last two games.

CB: Éder Militão—Militão gets along well with ex-Real Madrid player Álvaro Morata, who has not scored for Milan since September 27.

CB: Antonio Rudiger—Despite health problems, Rüdiger should be ready to go on Tuesday evening. The centre-back has found the back of the net in two of Los Blancos’ three UCL matches this season.

LB: Ferland Mendy—Mendy must lock up Christian Pulisic if Real Madrid want to prevent him from conceding multiple goals for the third consecutive game.

CM: Federico Valverde—Ancelotti’s most consistent and reliable player will make his 16th consecutive start for Los Blancos this season.

CM: Eduardo CamavingaCamavinga’s defensive prowess was perhaps the only highlight in Real Madrid’s disastrous defeat in the El Clásico and earned him a place in Ancelotti’s XI.

CM: Luka Modrić—The 39-year-old’s creativity will be a welcome addition to Real Madrid, who scored zero goals in the previous match. Modrić’s set-piece and playmaking ability will be crucial to overcome a stingy Milan backline.

CA: Jude Bellingham—After several experiments at right midfielder, expect Bellingham to return to his natural position on Tuesday. The England international is yet to find the back of the net this season.

ST: Kylian Mbappe—After a poor performance in his first El Clasico, Mbappé will be keen to bounce back against Milan. The Frenchman has just one UCL goal to his name for Real Madrid.

ST: Vinicius Junior—The Brazilian returns to the field for the first time since losing the 2024 Ballon d’Or. Vinícius Jr’s last UCL appearance ended with a hat-trick against Dortmund.

READ THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE