Real Madrid are gearing up for the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against new rivals Manchester City, holding a 3-0 lead on aggregate after an insane hat trick from center midfielder Fede Valverde.
Ferland Mendy put in a great shift at left back with Alvaro Carreras still out injured, but the Frenchman himself suffered yet another injury in the result, taking him out of the Elche game, which Fran Garcia ably started.
But Fran won’t have to be stressed about getting exposed by a tougher Man City side, as COPE journalist Miguel Angel Diaz reports that the new signing and main starter Alvaro is expected to be ready for the Man City match.
If he is in good shape, Alvaro is almost certain to start. He has been a massive upgrade offensively over Mendy and defensively over Fran, easily one of the best left backs in the Champions League these past two seasons.
Man City, even behind 3-0, can be dangerous at the Etihad, so minus potentially Kylian Mbappe, it should be all hands on deck for Los Merengues this week.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.