Real Madrid have confirmed that both Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo will miss their upcoming Clasico encounter against Barcelona through injury. 

The LaLiga champions revealed that Courtois had sustained an injury to the adductor in his left leg during their 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday. 

Madrid also said that Rodrygo, who was replaced by Aurelien Tchouameni in the 85th minute against Dortmund, will undergo an MRI scan later this week. 

The Brazilian was seen holding the back of his leg shortly before playing a role in Lucas Vazquez's goal seven minutes from time. 

Rodrygo has impressed for Carlo Ancelotti's side this term, notching five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in 13 appearances in all competitions. 

His 16 chances created is a total only bettered by Luka Modric and Vinicius Junior (both 21), though Madrid are not without their reserves at the top end of the pitch. 

Real are already without Dani Carvajal and David Alaba for the visit of their fierce rivals, but have welcomed Brahim Diaz back into training after a month-long lay-off. 

Nuri Sahin cited his substitutions as a "mistake" in Borussia Dortmund's 5-2 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. 

Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens had given the Bundesliga side a two-goal advantage heading into half-time, but they were unable to hold on to their lead.

Madrid came out firing after the interval, with a hat-trick from Vinicius Junior along with goals from Antonio Rudiger and Lucas Vazquez sealing the triumph. 

But Sahin's decision to replace both Malen and Gittens for defender Waldemar Anton and holding midfielder Pascal Gross proved to be Dortmund's undoing.

Five minutes after Gittens' substitution, Madrid halved the deficit through Rudiger, and were level 105 seconds later when Vinicius struck beyond Gregor Kobel. 

"It's not easy to explain, of course. We, who I thought played well with the ball, really had a lot of solutions," Sahin said. 

"The boys did well, scored two goals and then went into half-time and we knew it would be very long. The second half very, very long. 

"We noticed in the second half that we were being pushed back, we had defensive problems and I thought we should go to the three-man defence, and that didn't work out for us.

"It's my mistake and I have to live with it. There will be criticism, but that's something I have to face.

"We defended very, very badly. But also we have to factor the individual class of Real, a complete team."

However, Sahin insisted his side can take positives from the way they played in the first 45 minutes at the Bernabeu. 

Dortmund registered six shots, with five of those on target, entering the interval with an expected goals (xG) total of 1.49 compared to Los Blancos' 1.14. 

The visitors also boasted 52% possession, while also playing 158 passes in the opposition half to Madrid's 133 in the first half.

"It's an extremely bitter loss today, it hurts because we go out with the feeling that it was possible to go out with a better result," Sahin said.

"But tomorrow we also have to take the positives from this game with us.

"If we can play football like this against Real Madrid, then we have to do it against everyone and that has to be our benchmark. We're doing well up front."

Carlo Ancelotti believes Vinicius Junior will scoop the Ballon d'Or this season after he netted a hat-trick in Real Madrid's 5-2 win over Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.

In a repeat of their Champions League final in June, the Bundesliga outfit looked well on their way to exacting revenge at the Bernabeu when Donyell Malen and Jamie Gittens had them two goals up at the break. 

However, Antonio Rudiger's header on the hour-mark sparked the turnaround, with Vinicius levelling the contest two minutes later to set up an enthralling conclusion.

With Lucas Vazquez completing the comeback, the Brazilian turned on the style in the closing stages, scoring twice to notch his third Los Blancos treble. 

Vinicius is tipped to win the Ballon d'Or for his displays during Madrid's Champions League and LaLiga successes last year, with Ancelotti insisting it will be won by the 24-year-old.

"What I can say is that it's rare to see a player who plays a second half like Vinicius did," Ancelotti said.

"And not because of the three goals, but because of his character; he's extraordinary. 

"Vinicius is going to win (the Ballon d'Or), not for what he did tonight, but for what he did last year.

"These three goals are already going to count for next year's Ballon d'Or, that's for sure. He is a player who gets whistled at because he can make a difference."

Since the start of last season, Vinicius has 50 goal involvements (32 goals, 18 assists) in 53 games in all competitions for Madrid. 

But the result looked beyond doubt after a poor first half showing, with Ancelotti's men only managing one shot on target from the nine efforts they attempted.

However, after the interval, Los Blancos took control. They registered a mammoth expected goals (xG) total of 2.41 to Dortmund's 0.09 in the second half. 

The victory saw Madrid win a match in the Champions League in which they trailed by two goals at the break for the first time, with Ancelotti revealing there was no panic among his players in the dressing room at half-time.

"We lived it calmly, calmly (over the break). We changed the system and came back playing more intensely," Ancelotti said.

"Talking about scoring three goals might have seemed utopian, so we talked about small details like passing well, winning duels. 

We had to win the dynamic of the game and from there you start to win the game.

"We were timid in the first half, we weren't intense on the ball and in the second half we did better with more quality, more pressure.

It was the best second half of the season.

"We have to learn from what we did in the second half. The aim is to start the game and not wait for them to put two past us.

"I don't think we can play 90 minutes with the intensity of the second half but we can be more balanced."

Vinicius Junior delivered a jaw-dropping treble in the second half as Real Madrid fought back from two goals down to smash Borussia Dortmund 5-2 in the Champions League.

Donyell Malen opened the scoring midway through the first half before Jamie Gittens doubled Dortmund's lead just four minutes later to stun the home crowd.

However, Kylian Mbappe teed up Antonio Rudger on the hour before Vinicius restored parity just two minutes after, with the goal initially ruled out for offside before prior to being overturned by a VAR review.

Lucas Vazquez completed a memorable turnaround with seven minutes remaining, though the Brazil winger stole the show in the closing stages.

Vinicius powered down the left flank before curling past Gregor Kobel with a fine individual goal, before securing his remarkable hat-trick with another impressive strike in the 93rd minute.

Victory leaves Madrid ninth in the Champions League table, while Nuri Sahin's Dortmund are fifth after their first defeat of the 2024-25 campaign.

Data Debrief: Gittens overshadowed by Vinicius

Gittens became the youngest Englishman ever to score against Madrid in the competition, aged just 20 years and 75 days, surpassing Alan Smith (20y 129d for Leeds United in March 2001).

Yet his record-worthy exploits were overshadowed by the heroics of Ballon d'Or favourite Vinicius, who single-handedly powered his side to their second-half turnaround in the Spanish capital.

It was just Vinicius' third hat-trick for Madrid in all competitions and first in the Champions League, but his second in 2024 after his treble against Barcelona in the Supercopa.

Victory was deserved for the hosts as well, with Madrid accumulating a massive 3.4 expected goals (xG) to Dortmund's 1.48.

Borussia Dortmund head coach Nuri Sahin says a strong mentality will not be enough as his side need "everything" to overcome a tough test at Real Madrid on Tuesday.

Madrid won their 15th European Cup in June at Wembley as Dani Carvajal and Vinicius Junior scored late to claim a 2-0 victory over Dortmund, then managed by Edin Terzic.

Sahin has since took charge of the Bundesliga side, though he knows one of European football's most difficult challenges awaits in the Spanish capital.

"Mentality only is not enough to survive against Real Madrid, especially in this stadium, against the champions of this competition," Sahin told a press conference on Monday ahead of the Champions League clash.

"We need everything [on Tuesday]. We need a lot of quality, a lot of self-confidence, mentality of course and also, as we say in Germany, game luck.

"The game has to go our way, so only mentality will not be enough - but of course without mentality we have absolutely no chance here."

Dortmund maintained a winning start to the competition with a 7-1 thrashing of Celtic at home earlier this month after they eased to a 3-0 win at Club Brugge in their opening fixture.

Sahin's men lead the revamped Champions League standings on six points with an impressive goal difference of nine.

"It's only possible [to continue this way] as a collective against this team," Sahin added.

"The lads know what we have planned. We want to be brave and build on the last two games in the Champions League."

Sahin, who played for both clubs, will visit Bernabeu for the first time as a coach following his appointment last summer. The former Turkey midfielder was Edin Terzic's assistant manager at the club prior to that.

"[Being back] means a lot to me because it was always my dream to play one day for Real Madrid. My son was born in this beautiful city, and I have him with me [here]," Sahin said.

"Now I have the privilege to be on the sidelines with my childhood club against one of my biggest dreams, so it means a lot to me.

"Even if it was not that long that I played for Real Madrid, it will always remain special for me. Not only for footballing reasons but also family-wise, it's a fantastic thing to be here."

Kylian Mbappe should be scoring more goals for Real Madrid, so says Carlo Ancelotti ahead of their upcoming Champions League fixture with Borussia Dortmund. 

Since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe has eight goals in 12 appearances in all competitions, six of which have come in LaLiga this term. 

The 25-year-old was on target in Los Blancos' 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, though he was replaced by Dani Ceballos for the final eight minutes of the game. 

He has registered 44 shots this season, more than any other player in LaLiga, while only Robert Lewandowski (22) has had more shots on target than Mbappe (20). 

The Frenchman, however, has underperformed his expected goals (xG) tally of 7.18 in the Spanish top-flight, something Ancelotti wants him to improve on. 

"I want Mbappe to score goals, I prefer he scores rather than pressing," Ancelotti said.

"The centre-forward’s role hasn’t changed, I ask the same of him that I asked of (former Real striker player) Karim Benzema. 

"Mbappe needs to position himself well and be smart every time we recover the ball to make a quick transition."

Madrid are preparing to face Dortmund in a repeat of the Champions League final from last season, though Mbappe has struggled against the German side of late.

Dortmund are the opponent that Mbappe has faced the most times in the Champions League (eight). 

But after scoring three goals in his first two games against them (in 2016-17 for Monaco), he’s only netted once in the last six and failed to find the net in the last three.

Ancelotti also praised Jude Bellingham for his start to the season, despite the England midfielder failing to find the back of the net so far this season. 

Bellingham netted 23 goals and added 13 assists in all competitions during his debut season with Los Blancos, winning two trophies along the way.

Since the start of last season, Bellingham has delivered the joint-most assists in the Champions League (five - level with Marcel Sabitzer), and Ancelotti is not concerned by the 21-year-old's lack of goals this term.

"We are satisfied with Bellingham's work. He works hard on the field, competes, fights and makes sacrifices," Ancelotti said.

"He hasn’t scored like last year, but that was unexpected. 

"We’ve always managed to score and will continue to because we have a lot of talent up front. Bellingham's role is more important than the goals he scored last year."

Kylian Mbappe should be scoring more goals for Real Madrid, so says Carlo Ancelotti ahead of their upcoming Champions League fixture with Borussia Dortmund. 

Since his arrival from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe has eight goals in 12 appearances in all competitions, six of which have come in LaLiga this term. 

The 25-year-old was on target in Los Blancos' 2-1 win over Celta Vigo on Saturday, though he was replaced by Dani Ceballos for the final eight minutes of the game. 

He has registered 44 shots this season, more than any other player in LaLiga, while only Robert Lewandowski (22) has had more shots on target than Mbappe (20). 

The Frenchman, however, has underperformed his expected goals (xG) tally of 7.18 in the Spanish top-flight, something Ancelotti wants him to improve on. 

"I want Mbappe to score goals, I prefer he scores rather than pressing," Ancelotti said.

"The centre-forward’s role hasn’t changed, I ask the same of him that I asked of (former Real striker player) Karim Benzema. 

"Mbappe needs to position himself well and be smart every time we recover the ball to make a quick transition."

Madrid are preparing to face Dortmund in a repeat of the Champions League final of last season, though Mbappe has struggled against them of late.

Dortmund are the opponent that Mbappe has faced the most times in the Champions League (eight). 

After scoring three goals in his first two games against them (in 2016-17 for Monaco), he’s only netted once in the last six and failed to find the net in the last three.

Ancelotti also praised Jude Bellingham for his start to the season, despite the England midfielder failing to find the back of the net so far this season. 

Bellingham netted 23 goals and added 13 assists in all competitions during his debut season with Los Blancos, winning two trophies along the way.

Since the start of last season, Bellingham has delivered the joint-most assists in the Champions League (five - level with Marcel Sabitzer), and Ancelotti is not concerned by the 21-year-old's lack of goals this term.

"We are satisfied with Bellingham's work. He works hard on the field, competes, fights and makes sacrifices," Ancelotti said.

"He hasn’t scored like last year, but that was unexpected. 

"We’ve always managed to score and will continue to because we have a lot of talent up front. Bellingham's role is more important than the goals he scored last year."

Carlo Ancelotti has heaped praise on Luka Modric after he worked his magic with a terrific assist to help Vinicius Junior score Real Madrid's winner against Celta Vigo.

The Croatian became the club's oldest player in history when he came on in the 63rd minute, aged 39 years and 40 days.

He moved past Madrid great Ferenc Puskas for the club record, and has been a part of 363 wins for Los Blancos, with 250 of those coming in LaLiga, which is 22 more than nearest rival, and former team-mate, Karim Benzema.

It took him just under three minutes to make an impact on his 547th appearance for the LaLiga champions, setting up the winner in their 2-1 victory after Kylian Mbappe's opener was cancelled out by a counter-attack effort netted by Williot Swedberg. 

And Ancelotti was delighted that Modric's influence was so keenly felt on his landmark day.

"It is an honour to coach and work with Modric, everything he has been able to achieve is because he is a fantastic professional and a man of the highest calibre," Ancelotti told reporters.

"When they equalised I think the changes gave a new energy to the team. It's a very important victory.

"These are two spectacular goals from players that showed they have an amazing talent, from the build-up to the finish. They train really hard and have put on a great effort during this international break to improve their conditions. We have to keep going.

"We competed well, the team was committed the whole game, Celta played well and with intensity, we won three points thanks to a fantastic pass from Modric. He has this quality and always contributes.

"It doesn't matter if it is when he starts or when he comes off the bench... he always helps us. He came on at a difficult moment in the match and changed the script."

Madrid are second in LaLiga, level on 24 points with leaders Barcelona, who play their game in hand against Sevilla on Sunday. After a Champions League clash against Borussia Dortmund, who Ancelotti's side beat in the final last year, they host their Clasico rivals in LaLiga next Saturday.

Vinicius Junior produced the second-half winner as Real Madrid moved level on points with LaLiga leaders Barcelona after Saturday's 2-1 win over Celta Vigo.

Kylian Mbappe gave Madrid the lead with a brilliant long-range strike in the 20th minute, yet Williot Swedberg equalised for the home side with a first-touch effort from a counter-attack shortly after half-time.

Carlo Ancelotti's side went ahead again when substitute Luka Modric, who became Madrid's oldest player in history, played Vinicius through before the Brazil winger rounded Vicente Guaita to score the winner.

It could have been a different story, however, if not for substitute Tasos Douvikas missing a golden opportunity to level late on.

Madrid held on, though, as victory left the champions second in the LaLiga standings on 24 points, level with leaders Barcelona before their game in hand at home to Sevilla on Sunday. 

Data Debrief: Vinicius the hero on Modric's landmark game

Vinicius has been involved in at least one goal in each of his last six LaLiga games (four goals and three assists), his best such run in the competition.

It proved a landmark game for substitute Modric, too, as the Croatia midfielder became Madrid's oldest player in history, aged 39 years and 40 days.

Modric moved past Madrid great Ferenc Puskas for the club record, while the midfielder has been part of 363 wins for Los Blancos, which is 22 more than nearest rival and former team-mate Karim Benzema.

This was his 547th appearance for the LaLiga champions as well, a tally no player can match since his debut for the club in August 2012.

Kylian Mbappe was pictured by Real Madrid during an individual recovery programme amid growing questions over his France absence.

Madrid released a statement on Monday to update on the forward's recovery from a muscle issue that kept him out of France's October internationals squad.

Questions had persisted from reports in France after Mbappe was spotted in a Swedish nightclub on Thursday, when Didier Deschamps' side hammered Israel.

Deschamps insisted the matter was not an issue to discuss, though speculation remains over Mbappe's commitment to France, with reports suggesting he is prioritising Madrid and a potential Ballon d'Or.

Los Blancos seemingly sought to quash any growing murmurs of discontent by confirming Mbappe's appearance at the club before France's 2-1 win over Belgium in Brussels.

"Kylian Mbappe continues to work on his individual fitness plan," a short club statement read. 

"The forward is working on his own as he tries to recover fully from the discomfort in the biceps femoris of his left leg.

"He trained on his own in the gym and out on the pitch at Real Madrid City, under the guidance of Antonio Pintus, who is in charge of the club's physical preparation."

Mbappe subsequently posted a picture on Instagram of him in the Madrid gym, captioned "back to work" as the former Paris Saint-Germain forward continues his recovery.

The 25-year-old was joined by goalkeeping pair Thibaut Courtois and Andriy Lunin before more of Carlo Ancelotti's squad return from international football on Tuesday.

Deschamps' men did not feel Mbappe's absence, however, as Randal Kolo Muani's brace secured the vital victory over Belgium to boost their top-two hopes in the Nations League.

France manager Didier Deschamps believes Kylian Mbappe should be allowed to do what he wants, playing down rumours of a rift between the two.

The comments came after Mbappe was spotted in a nightclub in Sweden on Thursday, the same night France beat Israel 4-1, having been left out of the squad by Deschamps to recover from an injury.

Mbappe had suffered a muscle injury with Real Madrid last month and was given the international break to rest by the France manager. 

But Deschamps was both unconcerned and unaware of the striker's excursion.

"I don't follow the news of players who are not here," he said. "Kylian is following a programme with Real Madrid. I don't know if he was away or not."

The controversy stems from rumours that Mbappe had asked Deschamps to only play him in 'important' international matches, as he prioritises winning the Ballon d'Or.

Given that Mbappe had returned from injury for Real Madrid, coming off the bench against Lille in the Champions League earlier this month and starting the 2-0 victory over Villarreal in LaLiga a few days later, the decision to leave Mbappe out raised questions.

Deschamps, though, was quick to give a logical explanation for the absence of their biggest player, who is just nine goals behind Olivier Giroud (57) as France's all-time top scorer.

"Like any player for his club, he follows a programme. If players have days off, they are free to do what they want," added Deschamps.

France face Belgium on Monday without Mbappe, having beaten them 2-0 at home in the reverse fixture last month.

The striker only made a 23-minute cameo off the bench in that game, though he had the joint-most shots in the game (four) and the second-most touches in the box (five) among his team-mates.

Deschamps' side are, in fact, unbeaten in their last five matches without their captain in the starting XI. They are a point behind group-leaders Italy at the halfway point.

Kylian Mbappe must be afforded time to understand his new Real Madrid role, with differing challenges posed compared to his success with France and Paris Saint-Germain.

Former Argentina international Mario Kempes believes Mbappe will not have faced an experience like the pressure that comes with playing with Madrid.

The France captain has still managed seven goals in just 11 appearances to start his Los Blancos career, including finding the net five times in eight LaLiga appearances.

Yet Kempes, a 43-cap Argentina international, says Mbappe will have to adapt after what he sees as easier challenges when playing for France and Ligue 1 giants PSG.

"I can't talk about being a number nine, because I've never been one. I think it's all a matter of getting used to it, because Mbappe isn't going to come in and score 40 goals," Kempes told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"It's different to play in France or in the national team, it's nothing like playing in Madrid. At Madrid, you have to play 11 players or more every game and sometimes the ball doesn't go in or hits the post."

Mbappe scored 27 times in 29 league appearances for PSG last term, as well as eight goals in 12 Champions League outings.

He has taken to life in Spain with ease, too, also managing five LaLiga goals in September – a tally no player could better last month across Europe's top five leagues.

The 25-year-old has since opted to sit out of France's October internationals with Israel and Belgium, despite declaring himself fit to play for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

That has caused backlash from some supporters in France and former players after Mbappe made his focus clear on his intentions with Madrid, and his sights on a first Ballon d'Or.

His success with Madrid will be dictated by the relationship with his team-mates, says Kempes, who expects Mbappe to need time to impress in the Spanish capital.

"You also have to get to know your team-mates," Kempes added. "They are young and have a lot of desire and are very good, you also have to get to know each other on the pitch.

"There is still a long way to go."

Mbappe and Madrid return to domestic action on Saturday when they visit Celta Vigo.

Carlo Ancelotti's player management can turn Real Madrid's Endrick into a "great player", according to Brazil's World Cup winners Dida and Cafu. 

Endrick arrived in the Spanish capital from Palmeiras in July in a deal reportedly worth €60million, signing a six-year deal with the 15-time Champions League winners.

The 17-year-old has scored two goals in nine appearances across all competitions this season, though he has only featured for 107 minutes across those games. 

But Ancelotti has shown his faith in young players during his tenure with Los Blancos, with the likes of Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo all developing under his stewardship. 

Cafu, who made 119 appearances for Milan under Ancelotti, believes Endrick has the right man to guide him through the early stages of his promising career. 

"Ancelotti is a great coach, and he is really good at developing young players," Cafu told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy.

"He's really good at managing them, he understands them and knows when it's the right time for them to play or when they need to stay on the bench.

"For someone like him he will be like a father who will give the right advice."

It was a sentiment echoed by Cafu's former Milan team-mate Dida, who hopes he can become an important player for Brazil ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

"We all know Carlo [Ancelotti], he knows how to manage all the champions," Dida added. 

"He knows how to make these kids grow even if they are already in an important team.

"And that is certainly something very nice for [Endrick], we hope he does well because he is a Brazilian who will surely do well with the [Brazil] national team.

"I hope that our national team always works with this type of players and we hope that Carlo, as always, does his job."

Endrick was picked for the Brazil national team for the first time in November 2023, becoming the youngest male player to secure a senior call-up since Ronaldo Nazario in 1994.

He netted his first goal for his national side in a 1-0 win over England at Wembley back in March this year, scoring again three days later in an entertaining draw with Spain.

Endrick was also part of Dorival Junior's squad for the Copa America.

After three substitute appearances in the group stage, he made his first start for Brazil, replacing Vinícius who was suspended for their quarter-final against Uruguay. 

However, he struggled during the contest, completing just one pass during the match, from kick-off, as they crashed out on penalties to Marcelo Bielsa's side. 

Though showing only glimpses of what he can become, Cafu believes the sky is the limit for Endrick. 

"Endrick can become a great player. He's young and has enormous potential and can grow a lot," Cafu concluded. "With Ancelotti as a manager, I'm sure he can become a top player."

Dani Carvajal has signed a contract extension with Real Madrid until June 2026.

The full-back could miss the rest of the 2024-25 season after sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in Saturday's 2-0 win over Villarreal.

Carvajal's contract was due to expire at the end of the campaign, but Madrid responded almost immediately by extending his stay with the club for at least a further year.

The 32-year-old, who has been with Los Blancos since the age of 10, has won six Champions League titles and four LaLiga crowns during his time at Santiago Bernabeu, while amassing 427 appearances.

Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal could be set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.

Carvajal had to be taken off late on in Saturday's LaLiga meeting with Villarreal, which Madrid won 2-0 thanks to goals from Federico Valverde and Vinicius Junior.

The 32-year-old and the club subsequently confirmed he will have to go under the knife.

"Serious cruciate ligament injury confirmed, I'll have to undergo surgery and be off the field for a few months," Carvajal said on Instagram.

"Looking forward to starting the recovery process and coming back like an animal. Thank you all for your messages, I feel very loved."

After the match, Carlo Ancelotti said: "It looks like a pretty serious knee injury, the dressing room is sad and worried.

"It's something that happens a lot of times because of the calendar and it's happened to a very important player for us.

"He is a fundamental player for us because of his experience.

"I've been talking to him and he's sad, but there's not much we can do. We are going to see the medical evaluation and think about him recovering. The doctor has told us that he has to do tests, but that it's a knee injury."

Asked how he may replace Carvajal in Madrid's starting XI, Ancelotti said: "We have Lucas Vazquez, but it's not the time to talk about this.

"We are going to wait and if the injury is serious we are going to manage the squad well and see who we put in this position. It will not be me."

Vinicius also suffered an injury against Villarreal, with Madrid confirming the Brazil star had a cervical issue.

The victory took Los Blancos level on points with Barcelona at the summit of LaLiga, ahead of the Blaugrana facing Deportivo Alaves on Sunday.