Real Madrid v Man City live: Team news and updates as injury-ravaged Real host Champions League last-16 first leg – UK Times

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Trent, Huijsen, Rudiger, F. Mendy, Valverde, Tchouameni, Arda Guler, Brahim, Thiago, Vini Jr

Substitutes: Lunin, Fran Gonzalez, Carvajal, Camavinga, Gonzalo, Asencio, Fran Garcia, Mastantuono, Diego Aguado, Cestero, Manuel Angel, Palacios

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Khusanov, Dias, Guéhi, O’Reilly, Rodri, Bernardo, Savinho, Semenyo, Doku, Haaland

Substitutes: Trafford, Bettinelli, Reijnders, Stones, Ake, Marmoush, Cherki, Nico, Ait-Nouri, Nunes, Foden, Alleyne

Line-ups will be released in the next five minutes, so here’s a reminder of the early team news for both sides…

Real are missing multiple star names including Mbappe and Rodrygo up front and Jude Bellingham and Dani Ceballos in midfield, with their defence also stretched to breaking point with Eder Militao, David Alaba and Alvaro Carreras also sidelined with injuries. Eduardo Camavinga is back, however.

Pep Guardiola is missing Josko Gvardiol with a tibia fracture and Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis with ankle issues, but after making 10 changes against Newcastle in their 3-1 FA Cup win at the weekend, should be back to a full-strength and well-rested side.

Here’s the full list of tonight’s Champions League fixtures, with the Arsenal game already underway at the BayArena:

Bayer Leverkusen vs Arsenal – 5.45pm

Real Madrid vs Man City – 8pm

Bodo/Glimt vs Sporting – 8pm

Man City will face Real Madrid for the 16th time in the Champions League, twice as often as they have faced any other team in the competition (Bayern Munich – 8). This will be the first time two teams have met in the knockout phase of the competition in five consecutive seasons.

Only Bayern Munich (8) and Juventus (7) have won more Champions League games against Real Madrid than Manchester City (5), who beat them 2-1 in this season’s league phase.

John Stones wants to give Pep Guardiola a selection headache and is looking forward to an exciting end to the season for club and country as he said he hoped he had put the lonely times of an injury lay-off behind him.

The centre-back captained Manchester City to victory at Newcastle in the FA Cup on Saturday, but it was just his second start since November after struggling with a calf problem.

Stones, who has been an integral part of the England defence at the last four major tournaments, was watched by Thomas Tuchel at St James’ Park as he stepped up his comeback.

When the draw for the Champions League last 16 was made, there were at least a few Uefa figures who winced. That was because they were anticipating reactions like that of Pep Guardiola, who rightly said it was “a little bit weird” that Manchester City and Real Madrid were facing each other for the fifth consecutive season and sixth occasion in seven years. Some in Uefa counter that comes from the clear logic of the new seeding system, that the clubs voted for.

But what else is likely to happen when it’s mostly the same teams all the time? And now, increasingly, when it’s teams from the same country all the time?

Real Madrid host Man City at the Estadio Bernabeu in Madrid on Wednesday 11 March, with kick-off at 8pm GMT.

Viewers in the UK can watch the game live on TNT Sports 1 and subscription service discovery+.

Real Madrid XI: Courtois, Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga, Guler, G. Garcia, Vinicius Jr

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Dias, Guehi, Ait-Nouri, Bernardo, Rodri, O’Reilly, Semenyo, Haaland, Marmoush

Pep Guardiola is missing Josko Gvardiol with a tibia fracture and Mateo Kovacic and Rico Lewis with ankle issues, but after making 10 changes against Newcastle in their 3-1 FA Cup win at the weekend, should be back to a full-strength and well-rested side.