Luka Modric and Toni Kroos have both been left out of the Real Madrid starting line-up for Tuesday’s Champions League last 16, second leg against Paris Saint-Germain in the French capital.
The midfield duo have been sidelined with respective thigh and knee injuries since Real won 3-1 in the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on February 14.
They travelled with the rest of Zinedine Zidane’s squad to the French capital for the game at the Parc des Princes, but are only on the bench alongside Gareth Bale.
Instead, Mateo Kovacic, Lucas Vazquez and Marco Asensio all start across a four-man midfield, behind Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo scored his 100th Champions League goal for Real in the first leg, while Benzema makes his 100th Champions League appearance in this game.
With Neymar out recovering from a foot operation, Angel Di Maria starts as expected for the home side against his former club.
Thiago Silva and Thiago Motta are handed starts by Paris coach Unai Emery, who also prefers Yuri Berchiche to Layvin Kurzawa at left-back. Kurzawa is not even on the bench.
In his press conference on Monday, Zidane admitted that he could lose his job if Madrid are defeated by PSG.
“Tomorrow, after the game, it’s going to be difficult for one of the coaches (to keep his job) – but that is football,” he said.
Starting line-ups:
Paris Saint-Germain (4-3-3)
Alphonse Areola; Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva (capt), Yuri Berchiche; Marco Verratti, Thiago Motta, Adrien Rabiot; Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani, Kylian Mbappe
Real Madrid (4-4-2)
Keylor Navas; Dani Carvajal, Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos (capt), Marcelo; Lucas Vazquez, Mateo Kovacic, Casemiro, Marco Asensio; Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo
