Real Madrid's depleted squad limp towards season's end

Their first challenge comes tomorrow against Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, kicking off at 19h00. Sevilla, after a torrid season, are desperate to give their fans something to cheer about.

The Spanish giants are unlikely to make sweeping changes from the side that edged past Mallorca last time out, as injuries continue to ravage their squad. Marco Asencio, who missed training yesterday due to a minor muscle issue, is expected to be left out of the travelling party.

This paves the way for young Jacobo Ramon, the hero of the Mallorca comeback, to retain his spot in the starting lineup. With only Jesus Vallejo available as a senior centre-back, options are scarce. However, Aurelien Tchouameni's return from suspension offers some relief, as he is likely to slot back into the defence.

The injury list in defence is daunting: Eder Militao, David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger, Daniel Carvajal, and Ferland Mendy are all sidelined. There is hope that Lucas Vazquez could be fit for the Sevilla clash, but Ancelotti has made it clear that no risks will be taken with Militao, Alaba, Rudiger, or Carvajal, all of whom are targeting a return for the Club World Cup. Madrid will wrap up their La Liga season next week at home against Real Sociedad, a match that will mark Carlo Ancelotti's farewell as head coach.

The problems are not confined to the backline. Vinicius Junior and Brahim Diaz both missed training yesterday and are ruled out for the Sevilla game. Vinicius is unlikely to feature again before the Club World Cup. Rodrygo Goes is another doubt, having felt discomfort in his hamstring during the session before the Mallorca match. Ancelotti explained, "Rodrygo had a fever initially, and then in the training session before Mallorca, he felt some discomfort and stopped after about 15 minutes."

Andriy Lunin, who could be playing his final La Liga games for Madrid, is back in contention, but it remains to be seen if Ancelotti will give him a chance, especially after a season overshadowed by Thibaut Courtois' injury struggles.

With only 12 senior players available and 11 first-teamers out, Madrid's lineup against Sevilla will closely resemble the one that faced Mallorca. Youngsters like Endrick Felipe will continue to gain valuable minutes, while academy prospects such as Jacobo Ramon, Gonzalo García, Chema Andres, and Victor Munoz could see action. However, their availability may be limited, as Raul's Castilla side face Fuenlabrada this afternoon at the Alfredo di Stefano.

Ancelotti remains pragmatic about the situation, having said earlier this week, "We have to manage with what we have. The young players are stepping up, and that's a positive for the future." Madrid's fans will hope their patched-up squad can navigate these final games without further setbacks.