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Real Madrid midfielders
Perhaps the biggest cause for concern for Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane in the build-up to the UEFA Champions League semi-final tie against Chelsea has been the fitness of Toni Kroos. But Zizou has confirmed that his most reliable midfielder is not a doubt for the game.
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Meanwhile, Fede Valverde has tested positive for the coronavirus and will not be available. This means that Zidane is most likely to go with his trusted midfield trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casemiro.
Luka Modric has been in great form in the Champions League and it's the kind of occasion that brings out the best in the Croatian. He will be a handful to deal with for the likes of Kante and Jorginho and he will constantly try to drag one of them out of their position to leave the Chelsea defense vulnerable.
Modric and Kroos will pull the strings from midfield with Casemiro sweeping behind them. The Brazilian has been a stalwart in defensive midfield and is having yet another solid season.
Casemiro will have to keep the likes of Chelsea's attacking midfielders quiet and he will also need to step in to help out his full-backs as the Blues are famous for overloading the flanks.
Real Madrid forwards
Eden Hazard came off the bench against Real Betis and Zinedine Zidane will need to choose between him and Vinicius Jr. tonight. Hazard would love to play against his former employers but Vinicius is more match fit right now and it won't be much of a surprise if Zidane decides to go with Vinicius over the Belgian.
Vinicius' pace and trickery caused a lot of problems for the Liverpool backline and his presence could be critical to disrupting an otherwise resolute Chelsea defense. Marco Asensio is Real Madrid's best bet on the right side and the Spaniard has showcased good form in the Champions League of late, scoring against both Atalanta and Liverpool.
The ever reliable Karim Benzema will lead the attack for Zinedine Zidane's men. He has been among the goals of late and it's time for yet another big game performance from the Frenchman.
Benzema's well-rounded skillset will pose a threat quite unlike what the Chelsea defense have run into of late and it will be quite an interesting battle.
Real Madrid probable lineup (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois, Dani Carvajal, Eder Militao, Raphael Varane, Nacho Fernandez, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, Vinicius Jr., Marco Asensio, Karim Benzema
