Kylian Mbappe will replace Gonzalo Garcia in the Real Madrid starting lineup when they take on SL Benfica at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday.

Real Madrid will aim to take a step closer to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 when they lock horns with SL Benfica at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night. Alvaro Arbeloa has received a mixed bag of updates on the team news front ahead of his side’s latest fixture.

Raul Asencio and Rodrygo Goes are the latest absentees, as they will serve a suspension in the first leg of the playoff tie. Additionally, Jude Bellingham and Eder Militao remain in the treatment room with hamstring issues.

However, Kylian Mbappe is fit and available for Tuesday’s game, with Arbeloa including him in the travelling squad. Meanwhile, during his pre-match press conference, the Spanish tactician confirmed the French attacker’s participation.

The Real Madrid head coach said, “He’s with us, he’s going to train, and tomorrow you’ll see whether he plays or not.”

Arbeloa also discussed his team’s game plan after suffering defeat against Benfica a few weeks ago. The Real Madrid boss said, “Our approach is always football-focused, as I believe that’s how things need to be done. To win the game, we have to play very good football, and to play very good football, you have to do many things well in all phases of the game.”

“We need to play 90 minutes with maximum concentration and know what to do every minute; defend well and attack well, stay focused on set-piece plays. It’s not just a key to winning tomorrow but also to play a very complete game throughout the 90 minutes.”

Thibaut Courtois is an automatic pick between the sticks, with Real Madrid lining up in a 4-3-3 formation in front of him against SL Benfica on Tuesday. The backline will feature Trent Alexander-Arnold, Antonio Rudiger, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras.

As for the midfield unit, there is no looking past Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, and skipper Federico Valverde. Finally, Kylian Mbappe will replace Gonzalo Garcia as the central striker, with Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler completing the numbers in the offensive unit.

Predicted Real Madrid XI: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Rudiger, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler, Mbappe, Vinicius Junior