Real Madrid vs. VfB Stuttgart – Football Match Preview – September 17, 2024

September 16 (Reuters) – Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti expects several injured players to be back on the pitch ahead of their Champions League opener against VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday.

Midfielders Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni and defender Eder Militao are expected to be available for the game at the Santiago Bernabeu, although Militao missed training as he needed an extra day to fully recover.

Although Real will be without midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and former mainstays Nacho and Joselu, as well as now-retired midfielder Toni Kroos, Ancelotti said he was looking forward to starting the title defence with “the best player in the world”, Kylian Mbappe.

“Yes, we have lost two of our most important players, Nacho and Kroos. And Joselu. In return we have one of the best players in the world. Do we have a better squad than last year? I think so,” Ancelotti told reporters on Monday.

“Jude's return is fantastic news for us. We know what he can do with and without the ball,” said defender Dani Carvajal. “We demand a lot more of ourselves and tomorrow we have another chance to improve even further.”

All three European club competitions have expanded to 36 teams this season and Ancelotti's team will also take part in the expanded 32-team Men's Club World Championship, which begins in the United States next June.

Striker Brahim Diaz was the latest player to miss out due to a series of injuries and Ancelotti said this was due to the gruelling schedule. “The calendar is too demanding. A new competition is coming up and we don't know how it will turn out,” he added.

“Maybe it's more entertaining, maybe not. The fact is that we still have two games left in this competition.”

The Italian, who has won the Champions League five times as a coach and twice as a player, said the competition was more important to him than anything else.

“For me, this competition is very special, not just for the club. But it's not just about that, it's about the daily work to get there,” he added.

“The (Champions League) will always be the same, even if they change the format a little bit and (their relationship with) Real Madrid will remain the same. This (year) will be another (chance) to make history and I hope we can reach the final like last year.”

Madrid triumphed in the final at Wembley last season, defeating German side Borussia Dortmund to win their sixth trophy in 11 years. (Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru, editing by Christian Radnedge)