Sept 16 (Reuters) – Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti expects a number of players to be back from injury ahead of the Champions League opener against German side VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday.

Midfielders Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and defender Eder Militao are available for the match at the Santiago Bernabeu, but Militao missed training as he needed an extra day to fully recover.

Although Real will be without midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, former mainstays Nacho, Joselu and now-retired midfielder Toni Kroos, Ancelotti said he was looking forward to starting the title defence with “the best player in the world” Kylian Mbappe.

“Yes, we lost Nacho and Kroos, two of our most important players. And Joselu. In return, we get one of the best players in the world. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so,” Ancelotti told reporters on Monday.

“Jude’s return is fantastic news for us. We know what he brings with and without the ball,” defender Dani Carvajal said. “We demand much more from ourselves and tomorrow is another chance to keep growing.”

All three European club competitions have been expanded to 36 teams this season, and Ancelotti’s team will also compete in the expanded 32-team Men’s Club World Cup, which begins in the United States in June next year.

Striker Brahim Diaz was the latest player to be sidelined due to a series of injuries and Ancelotti blamed their gruelling schedule. “The calendar is too demanding. There is a new competition coming up and we don’t know how it will go,” he added.

“It may or may not be more fun. The fact is that we still have two games in this competition.”

The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a manager and twice as a player, said the competition is particularly dear to him.

“For me this competition is very special, not only for the club. But it’s not only that, it’s the daily work to get there,” he added.

“The (Champions League) will always be the same, even if they change the format a little bit and (the relationship with) Real Madrid, the same. This (year) is going to be a new (chance) for history and I hope we reach the final, like last year.”

Madrid beat German side Borussia Dortmund in the final at Wembley last season to win their sixth trophy in 11 years. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru Editing by Christian Radnedge)