Real Madrid predicted lineup vs Rayo Vallecano - La Liga | OneFootball

Real Madrid make a short trip across the Spanish capital to face Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Saturday evening.

While all eyes will eventually fall upon the 22 players charging around the pitch at Vallecas this weekend, plenty of attention may be turned towards Rayo's bench. That has been James Rodriguez's spot for almost the entire season. The former Real Madrid favourite, who has now lost what little pace he had at the age of 33, has started just once for Inigo Perez's side since moving back to Spain's top flight in the summer.

Carlo Ancelotti will no doubt have time for a warm embrace with a player he knows incredibly well. The pair worked together at Real, Bayern Munich and Everton. As Rodriguez invariably starts Saturday's contest as a substitute, here is the Real Madrid team he may be watching.

Antonio Rudiger is one of Real Madrid's few fit defenders / Image Photo Agency/GettyImages

GK: Thibaut Courtois - Praise doesn't get much better than the description Valencia icon Santi Canizares had for Courtois, hailing him as "the Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo of goalkeeping".

RB: Lucas Vazquez - Back in the innocent days of 2019, before Vazquez had been fully converted into a dogged right-back, he once missed more than two months with a broken toe after dropping a weight on his foot. Vazquez should be intact for Saturday.

CB: Raul Asencio - A rare beneficiary of Madrid's defensive injury crisis, the 21-year-old is just seven games into his senior career.

CB: Antonio Rudiger - Ancelotti calls him "a warrior", his peers voted him as one of the best centre-backs in the world, but during his childhood growing up in Berlin, Rudiger was known simply as "Rambo".

LB: Fran Garcia - The hard-working if slightly limited full-back amassed more than 100 appearances during three years at Rayo Vallecano.

CM: Federico Valverde - Madrid's all-action midfielder has never scored against Rayo, but he did once fire a shot so high over the bar at Vallecas that it landed in the open window of a flat backing onto the stadium.

CM: Luka Modric - Real Madrid's oldest player of all time is three years the senior of Rayo head coach Inigo Perez.

CM: Jude Bellingham - The press in Madrid have begun repeatedly referring to Bellingham's remarkable ability to impress across every inch of the pitch as "Di Stefano mode".

RW: Arda Guler - Fresh from scoring the first goal of his Real Madrid career in the club's last league game, the Turkish teen could be in line for another start this weekend.

ST: Brahim Diaz - Hailed as the glue holding Madrid's dressing room together, the versatile and humble - but hugely gifted - forward may be called upon once again in the absence of the injured Kylian Mbappe.

LW: Rodrygo - In order to avoid overworking Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo may be shunted into the starting XI to share the load with his fellow Brazilian this weekend.