Real Madrid Prepare for El Clásico with Vinícius, Without Carvajal
Tests ruled out an injury, but the full-back stayed in the gym recovering from his muscle discomfort. He's currently doubtful for the Barcelona match.
Brazilian Vinícius Junior trained normally alongside the rest of his teammates as Real Madrid returned to training following their success at the Etihad Stadium in the Champions League. The match left Dani Carvajal with muscle soreness, keeping him out of the group on Friday, but there is confidence that he will be fit to play in the league clásico on Sunday.
Real Madrid is already preparing for the clásico against Barcelona, where they aim to seal the La Liga EA Sports title before pursuing their 15th European Cup. After a day of rest on Thursday, having flown back from Manchester with the joy of eliminating Pep Guardiola's City in the penalty shootout, the players returned to train under Carlo Ancelotti.
Attention was focused on Vinícius and Carvajal, who underwent medical tests after the match in Manchester, confirming that neither suffered a muscle injury and that their substitutions in the game were due to physical demands and mild muscle overloading.
The Brazilian joined the group for the start of clásico preparation with the first of two training sessions available for Real Madrid, while Carvajal was treated by physiotherapists. After undergoing recovery treatment, he will test himself on the field on Saturday to determine his participation against Barcelona. The outlook is positive, and there is optimism within the dressing room.
Along with Carvajal, the usual absences from the session included Thibaut Courtois and David Alaba, who also stayed inside the Ciudad Real Madrid facilities following their knee injury recovery plans.
With the rest of the squad, Ancelotti focused on the clásico during a light morning training session that included tactical work on the pitch and ball work before small-sided games were played.
