Real Madrid Omits Key Players from Club World Cup Roster

Real Madrid will be facing Egyptian side Al Ahly in the semi-finals of the prestigious Club World Cup on Wednesday.

The match, which brings together the champions of each of the six continental confederations, promises to be an exciting encounter. The winner will advance to the final, where they will take on either Flamengo or Al Hilal on Saturday night.

However, the reigning champions of Europe will be without several key players for the trip to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco. Thibaut Courtois and Karim Benzema will not be part of the squad, along with Eden Hazard, Eder Militao, Lucas Vazquez, and Ferland Mendy. Courtois is struggling with a groin strain, while Benzema picked up a leg injury in the recent 2-0 victory over Valencia. There is hope that both could make a return if Real Madrid reaches the final.

In the absence of Courtois, Real Madrid will likely line up with Andrey Lunin in goal, and Mariano Diaz may get some playing time up front due to the heavy fixture congestion caused by the recent World Cup in Qatar.

The Club World Cup was postponed to February this year and takes place at a time when Real Madrid is facing a setback in their La Liga title defense. A 1-0 defeat to Mallorca has left the team eight points behind rivals Barcelona, and it was their second defeat in their last five league games.

Real Madrid will also resume their Champions League campaign in two weeks, taking on Liverpool in a two-legged round of 16 match.

The stakes are high for the Spanish giants, and they will be looking to make a strong comeback in Morocco.