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- Real Madrid confirmed lineup vs. Man City
- Real Madrid injury list
- Real Madrid vs. Man City match details
Xabi Alonso's job is reportedly on the line as Real Madrid welcome Manchester City to the Bernabeu on Wednesday in Champions League play.
Multiple reports have indicated that a failure to secure victory in this home league phase match could mean a swift end to Alonso's tenure in charge of the club.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he may not have his most in-form goal scorer at his disposal for this critical match, a huge blow to Alonso's chances of proving he is the right man for the job.
Despite having squandered their early lead in the La Liga title race, Los Blancos are in a good position through five Champions League matches, sitting fifth in the league phase table. However, the top of the standings are crowded, with Man City lurking just two points behind.
AllSportsPeople runs through the latest team news and injury updates for both sides as the match draws nearer.
MORE: Champions League top goal scorers | La Liga top goal scorers
Real Madrid lineup vs. Man City: Confirmed starting XI
Formation: 4-3-3
Courtois (GK)
Valverde, Asencio, Rudiger, Carreras
Ceballos, Tchouameni, Bellingham
Rodrygo, G. Garcia, Vinicius
Real Madrid team news
With so much on the line for Xabi Alonso, it would have been an enormous blow for Kylian Mbappe to miss this match. Despite nursing a knee injury, the France superstar has made the bench.
Rodrygo and Club World Cup hero Gonzalo Garcia join Vinicius Junior in the front three.
Alonso also has a litany of defensive concerns to work around. Eder Militao and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been recently added to the long list of injury absences along the back line, which already included Dani Carvajal, Dean Huijsen, David Alaba and Ferland Mendy.
Eduardo Camavinga has picked up an ankle issue, meaning Dani Ceballos makes a rare start in midfield.
MORE: Does Vinicius Jr. Have a gripe about his playing time under Xabi Alonso?
Real Madrid injury list
Below is the latest injury picture for Real Madrid, and estimated return dates for those who are sidelined.
Kylian Mbappe
- Injury: Knee
- Expected return date: December 2025
Multiple reports ahead of the Champions League match against Manchester City claimed that Kylian Mbappe did not train ahead of the match and is likely to miss out.
The reports claim that Mbappe took a knock to his knee during the Celta Vigo defeat, and is experiencing "significant pain." If he does indeed miss the game, it's unclear how long he could be sidelined, although the nature of the injury suggests it would likely be a short layoff.
Eduardo Camavinga
- Injury: Ankle
- Expected return date: December 2025
Despite being an unused substitute against Celta Vigo in early December, Camavinga then cropped up with an ankle injury that could keep him out of the subsequent Champions League game against Man City.
It's unclear how serious the injury is.
Eder Militao
- Injury: Hamstring
- Expected return date: March 2026
Eder Militao, who has been fantastic since returning from his lengthy absences for multiple ACL tears, has gone down with a hamstring injury and will miss significant time.
After exiting in the 24th minute of their defeat to Celta Vigo, the club confirmed a tear to the "biceps femoris tendon" in his left hamstring, and he will miss up to four months. It is a devastating blow to the already thin Real Madrid back line.
Dean Huijsen
- Injury: Knee/thigh
- Expected return date: December 2025
Huijsen is reportedly suffering with a muscle strain in his thigh that is perhaps related to a previous knee problem.
While the injury was not believed to be serious, he has missed multiple matches already. He will be evaluated on a game-by-game basis, but after not training on Tuesday he's expected to miss the Manchester City match and could also be a doubt for their weekend visit to Alaves.
Franco Mastantuono
- Injury: Pubalgia
- Expected return date: Unknown
Teenage midfielder Mastantuono has been struck down by the same ailment that has hindered Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.
Similar to what is known as a "sports hernia," the injury is one that has to be managed and can result in an absence ranging from a few weeks to several months depending on the severity.
Dani Carvajal
- Injury: Knee surgery
- Expected return date: Late December 2025
Spain star Carvajal missed the majority of last season due to a horrific ACL tear and the club confirmed he needs surgery on separate knee problem, which flared up against Barcelona. He could miss the remainder of 2025 as part of his recovery.
Real Madrid vs. Man City match details
- Date: Wednesday, December 10, 2025
- Kickoff time: 9 p.m. Local / 1:30 a.m. (Dec 11) IST
- Location: Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid, Spain)
- Competition: Champions League league phase Round 6
- Referee: Clement Turpin (FRA)
- VAR: Daniel Trujillo Suarez