Rangers are facing the reality of going up against a weakened Real Madrid side when Carlos Ancelotti’s side travel to Ibrox this weekend.
The Gers are set to welcome 12,750 fans to this Sunday’s friendly with the Spanish giants as the club completes its pre-season friendly schedule.
Another big name who has been drafted in as part of the Gers’ 150th anniversary year the prospect of facing off against the Galacticos in Ibrox’s biggest crowd since March 2020 is tantalising.
But a dose of reality has been served up by the Daily Record who claims that due to summer tournaments such as Euro 2020 or the Copa America, much of Real Madrid’s squad is yet to return to pre-season training.
According to that report, a number of the Spanish giants’ players will make a late return from the European Championships whilst those at the Copa America after not back in training until August.
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It is claimed that the likes of Luka Modric, Raphael Varane, Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale and David Alaba won’t return to training until Friday, just 48 hours before the club is scheduled to play Rangers.
This comes after the club only used seven first teamers in their friendly with Rayo Vallecano last weekend in a squad which included the likes of Marcelo, Nacho and Isco amongst others.
We still expect a strong squad in Glasgow – and we’ll take this with a pinch of salt until Real Madrid arrive – but with some Rangers players yet to return, and the season further in the distance for Los Blancos, it sort of makes sense.
This also means that any prospective Raphael Varane absence is down to his extended break following appearing at the Euros with France and not down to links with Man United.
Varane, 28, is reportedly set to be the subject of a £25m Man Utd bid with his contract entering its final year and an intimation from Varane that he wants a Premier League move.
Rangers fans have already been disappointed by the news that a Real Madrid and footballing legend in Sergio Ramos won’t be visiting Ibrox after moving on from the Bernabeu after 16 years.