Madrid take on minnows Deportiva Minera on Monday (6 January) and top stars Mbappe, Bellingham and Vinicius may have to feature.
The games keep coming quickly for Real Madrid. Carlo Ancelotti's side defeated Valencia on Friday (January 3) in a rearranged match full of controversy (Vinicius Jr, we're looking at you). Los Blancos next take on fifth-tier Deportivo Minera in the Copa del Rey round of 32 on Monday (January 6), before capping off a busy week with a trip to Saudi Arabia and a semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup against Mallorca on Thursday (January 9). ). If they win, they will remain in the Middle East for the final against Barcelona or Athletic Club on Sunday, January 12.
Given all the talk about how many games Real Madrid and other elite clubs are playing these days, Ancelotti will be keen to ensure his stars don't become overworked as the business end of the season approaches.
With that in mind, the Italian will have aimed for the cup match against Deportivo Minera to give the key players some time off. The expectation is that that will happen, although perhaps not as much as he would like.
The Copa del Rey regulations will impact the Real Madrid team
Copa del Rey regulations stipulate that professional teams must have at least seven first-team players on the pitch at any time. As a result, Ancelotti revealed in his pre-match press conference on Monday that only Thibaut Courtois and Antonio Rudiger would not travel to Cartagena, the city in south-eastern Spain where the cup match will be played.
“It is a rule and it must be respected. I have no problem with that,” the 65-year-old said through gritted teeth.
Can Vinicius play in the Copa del Rey after his red card for Valencia?
In addition to Dani Ceballos, Luka Modric, Jesús Vallejo, Endrick and Brahim Díaz, a limited number of academy players could feature, although stars such as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé and Vinicius will also compete to come off the bench.
Despite being sent off against Valencia, Vinicius is eligible to play in the Copa del Rey as his suspension will be postponed as the Spanish Football Federation's competition committee does not meet until Tuesday, January 7 (January 6 is a public holiday in Spain).
Who are Deportivo Minera?
Deportivo Minera usually plays their home games at Estadio Ángel Celdrán in the small municipality of Llano del Beal, which has fewer than 1,500 inhabitants. Because their own stadium has a capacity of about 2,000 people, Monday's match has been moved to Estadio Cartagonova, which seats more than 15,000 people, in Cartagena, the nearest major city.
Minera, who has played in the fourth or fifth tier of the Spanish league system since 1995, is making his first appearance in the Copa del Rey. In the previous round, they caused a major upset by eliminating LaLiga team Alavés on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
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