European champions Real Madrid could be without the world’s most expensive player Gareth Bale and defender Pepe when they meet city rivals and domestic champions Atletico Madrid in today’s first leg of the Spanish Super Cup.
Both players were unable to train during the weekend when they nursed injuries ahead of Real’s final friendly fixture against Fiorentina in Warsaw on Saturday.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti, rotating his squad before meeting Atletico again for the first time since they beat them 4-1 in the Champions League final in Lisbon in May, made nine changes to the team that started last week’s UEFA Super Cup final against Sevilla in Cardiff, which Madrid won 2-0.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored both goals, and newly-arrived Colombia playmaker James Rodriguez were retained as Real, the King’s Cup winners, finalised their preparations.
Ronaldo scored an early goal but Real lost 2-1 to Fiorentina.
Bale, whose solo winning goal in the King’s Cup final against Bar-celona in April secured Real’s place in the Super Cup, trained on his own while Pepe did only some light stretching. Both, however, were on the bench in Warsaw.
French defender Raphael Varane is likely to replace Pepe while Spanish midfielder Isco is tipped to step in for Bale, if he is unfit for the clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The return leg is at the Vicente Calderon on Friday, three days before the Spanish champions start the defence of their La Liga title at Rayo Vallecano.
Boosted by the combined 120 million euros arrival of three World Cup stand-out players in Rodri-guez, from Monaco, Germany midfielder Toni Kroos from Bayern Munich and Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas from Levante, Real hope to win the La Liga title and retain the Champions League.
Since their disappointment in Lisbon on May 24, Atletico have sold Spain striker Diego Costa and Brazilian left-back Filipe Luis to Chelsea, who have also recalled goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from his loan at the Calderon.
In a period of almost-customary upheaval, they have also lost important squad players including former Spain striker David Villa as they balanced the books.
In their place, Argentine coach Diego Simeone has spent about 95 million euros to sign highly-rated forwards Mexican Raul Jimenez and Frenchman Antoine Griezmann, from America and Real Sociedad respectively, and Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak from Benfica to compete with Miguel Angel Moya from Getafe.
He also signed Croatia striker Mario Mandzukic from Bayern Munich, among others, as he rebuilt the team in the same dur-able image of last season in which defensive strength and organisation was a priority.