"We will not be there", "I don't like this" - Real Madrid fans surprised as 2 key stars left out of starting XI for Dortmund clash

Some Madridistas online were surprised by the exclusion of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga from Real Madrid's starting line-up to face Borussia Dortmund. The two sides will face off in the UEFA Champions League league phase on Tuesday, October 22. Both players are considered important players in the Los Blancos squad.

Carlo Ancelotti opted for a 4-3-3 lineup to face Dortmund, with Lucas Vazquez, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Ferland Mendy forming the defensive back-line. Fede Valverde, Luka Modric, and Jude Bellingham start in the midfield. The attacking line-up comprises Rodrygo, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr. Thibaut Courtois guards the goal.

Fans were quick to spot the notable exclusion of French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who made 12 appearances for Los Blancos this season across competitions. Eduardo Camavinga also did not make it as a starter. The Frenchman has made only three appearances this season, owing to a knee injury resulting in him missing 10 games for Los Blancos.

Reacting to the two exclusions on X, a Madridista wrote:

"I don’t like this."

"Well i thought he will bench one of Camavinga or Tchouameni but he actually benched both wtf," a fan opined.

"sh*tty defense and this man dropped both tchouameni and camavinga," another user added.

Fans continued to question the exclusion of both stars, with one writing:

"we will not be there"

"No camavinga or tchouameni lol wtf is Ancelotti smoking," a fan jibed.

"WHERE IS TCHOUAMENI AND CAMAVINGA??????????????," a netizen asked.

Real Madrid have recorded one win (3-1 vs Stuttgart) and one loss (1-0 vs Lille) in the UEFA Champions League so far. The Spanish giants last faced Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final, winning 2-0 and picking up their record-extending 15th Champions League title.

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"Tchouameni is very important" - Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti ahead of UCL clash vs Borussia Dortmund

Carlo Ancelotti - Source: Getty

In the pre-match press conference ahead of Real Madrid's UCL clash against Borussia Dortmund, Carlo Ancelotti said Aurelien Tchouameni is a crucial player for his side.

"Tchouameni is very important because he can adapt to different positions and he wins the ball back a lot. He has to be able to read match situations better and we need to work on that because sometimes you can forget it if you don't work on it," Ancelotti said (via Real Madrid's official website).

Aurelien Tchouameni joined Real Madrid from the Ligue 1 outfit Monaco in July 2022 for a reported €80 million on a six-year deal. In 100 appearances for the Spanish giants, the Frenchman recorded three goals and five assists across all competitions. He has won one Champions League, one LaLiga and one Copa del Rey with Los Blancos so far, among other honors.

Following their clash against Dortmund, Los Blancos will next face their league rivals Barcelona in LaLiga at home on October 26. The club are on a 42-game unbeaten strike in the Spanish league. If they win or draw in the Clasico this weekend, they could equal Barcelona's record of being 43 games unbeaten between 2017 and 2018.