MADRID (AP) — Midfielders Jude Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni will be available for Real Madrid’s Champions League opener after not playing in the Spanish league this weekend, coach Carlo Ancelotti said Monday.
Ancelotti said central defender Éder Militão, who missed practice on Monday, also will be fit to face Stuttgart on Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.
“Bellingham is fine, just like Tchouaméni and Militão, who didn’t train today,” Ancelotti said. “He needed an extra day to recover.”
Bellingham had been dealing with a foot injury and hasn’t played since Madrid’s Spanish league opener at Mallorca in August. His only other match this season was the UEFA Super Cup final against Atalanta, which kicked off Madrid’s season.
Tchouaméni also was nursing a foot injury and missed the team’s 2-0 win at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Saturday.
Militão played against Sociedad but didn’t practice with the rest of the squad on Monday because of a reported knee ailment.
“He went through some individual work but he will be 100% for the game tomorrow,” Ancelotti said.
Not available for Ancelotti is forward Brahim Díaz, who had to be replaced in the first half against Sociedad because of a right leg muscle injury.
Madrid won a record-extending 15th European title last season.
It will be the team’s first Champions League match since signing France star Kylian Mbappé, who is expected to start on Tuesday.
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