Real Madrid star Marco Asensio has been ruled out of the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Egypt’s Al-Ahly, due to a hamstring injury he suffered in a surprise defeat against Real Mallorca last Sunday. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has also received news that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will not recover from a thigh injury in time to travel to Morocco should the team qualify for the final, which will be held next Saturday. Additionally, forwards Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard, and defenders Eder Militao, Lucas Vazquez and Ferlan Mendy have remained in Madrid for treatment. While Hazard, Vasquez and Mendy have been out of action for an extended period with injuries, Benzema and Militao, who were replaced in last Thursday’s Spanish league win over Valencia, are not expected to be out for long and could join their colleagues in Rabat later this week.
The winner of the match between Real Madrid and Al-Ahly will meet Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia in the final of the World Cup for club. Al-Hilal earned a stunning 3-2 victory over South American champions Flamengo in the other semi-final in Tangier on Tuesday. Ancelotti hopes that his key players will return immediately after the end of the Club World Cup, as Real Madrid will play the Champions League round of 16 against Liverpool and before the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, as well as continuing to try to catch up with their arch-rival at the top of the national championship. Barcelona currently lead the league by eight points off second-placed Real Madrid.
Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio has been ruled out of the FIFA Club World Cup semi-final against Egypt’s Al-Ahly due to a hamstring injury. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has also received news that goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will not recover from a thigh injury in time to travel to Morocco, should the team qualify for the final. Additionally, forwards Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard, and defenders Eder Militao, Lucas Vazquez and Ferlan Mendy have remained in Madrid for treatment. Hazard, Vasquez and Mendy have been out of action for an extended period with injuries, while Benzema and Militao are not expected to be out for long and could join their colleagues in Rabat later this week. The winner of the match between Real Madrid and Al-Ahly will meet Al-Hilal Saudi Arabia in the final of the World Cup for club, with Al-Hilal having earned a stunning 3-2 victory over South American champions Flamengo in the other semi-final in Tangier on Tuesday.
Ancelotti hopes that his key players will return immediately after the end of the Club World Cup, as Real Madrid will play the Champions League round of 16 against Liverpool and before the Copa del Rey final against Barcelona, as well as continuing to try to catch up with their arch-rival at the top of the national championship. Barcelona currently lead the league by eight points off second-placed Real Madrid. Despite the injuries, Ancelotti remains hopeful that his team will be able to compete for the Club World Cup and make a strong showing in the upcoming matches.
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